Bleached Bone Mask
by Akuma no Musuko
Summary: Jonathan Hunt; Archaeologist, Historian, and the Wearer of the Hell Mask, a powerful bone mask that turns him into a hulking beast. When he arrives in Hueco Mundo against his will, will he join the ranks of the Espada or take them down? Possible OCx?
1. Prologue

**Hello, and welcome to the first ever Splatterhouse and Bleach crossover! I recently bought the Splatterhouse game, and I have to say, I enjoyed every second of it. Then again, I'm just psycho that way.**

**Anyway, I just got this idea when I read a Ben 10 and Bleach crossover, and I thought, 'What if it were Rick Taylor instead of Ben Tennyson?' So after a few hours of thought and another few hours of writing, this bastard child was born.**

**Dialogue Key:**

"What's this doing here?" - Spoken Speech  
_How am I gonna get home? _- Thoughts  
_**"I'm right here inside your head." **_- Terror Mask Speech  
_"This text isn't really important."_ - Text

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Splatterhouse. I do own a copy of Splatterhouse and an issue of the Bleach manga, but that doesn't count for shit.**

**Now, without further ado, Please enjoy the debut of Bleached Bone Mask.**

* * *

Phase 0: Prologue

I jerked straight up from my cot, sweat drenched my face and neck. I reached up and wiped the sweat off my brow. My heart pounded so hard that it nearly burst out of my chest. After about a minute, I managed to calm down enough to lie back on my makeshift bed, my eyes slowly scanning the beige weaving of the tent.

_The same dream again,_ I thought to myself, breathing in and out slowly. _What the hell's going on?_

I thought back to the dream that forced me out of my sleep. It was always the same, ever since I arrived at the dig site: I woke up standing in the middle of a destroyed city. I looked down at myself to see that, somehow, I was an overly muscular man. On my face was what felt like some kind of mask, but I wasn't able to tell what it looked like from my point of view. I surveyed the damage around me, and I noticed several men and a few women, most wearing some sort of black Japanese uniform, lying on the ground amongst the rubble. It took most of my willpower to keep myself from vomiting; most of their deaths were a little too graphic for me to describe without me feeling nauseous.

All of a sudden, there was some strange power radiating over me. To say that it was suffocating was an understatement; I could almost swear that I was being forced down onto the ground, as if a thick, heavy blanket covered me. Using what willpower I had, I lifted my head to see where the power was coming from, and all I would see was a man in white.

He didn't seem like much; just an ordinary man wearing some strange white robes. His brown hair was slicked to the back of his head, with only one bang in the middle of his forehead. He always had some calm and sincere look on his face, but the aura he gave out…it felt…evil.

After what felt like a minute, his brown eyes met my green ones hiding behind the mask, and the mystery man said in a deceptively caring and calm voice, "You were a powerful ally." Then, without warning, he disappeared from my point of view. I didn't have time to look around before I suddenly saw a katana blade jut out of my chest.

I couldn't actually feel the pain, but I could feel my life slipping away as the mystery man's same voice whisper in my ear, "I must thank you for helping me achieve my goal." That was the last thing I heard from him before his katana blade slid out of my body, and I fell face first to the bloody, cracked cement.

That was the last thing I saw before I woke up. For the first couple of days since I had the dream, I would always check myself for any injury. Thankfully and obviously, I wasn't, but that didn't ease my pounding heart.

I would spend the rest of the day thinking about the nightmare if hadn't heard a voice say, "Professor, are you alright?"

I lifted my head to see a young man, his head poking in through the flap of the tent. He looked as though he had just graduated from high school, probably 18 or 19. His blonde hair was cropped short, rising just enough to show most of his forehead. It was very dim in my tent, but I could still make out his brown eyes.

Laying my head back on my pillow, I told the kid, "I'm all right, Nathan. I'll be out in a minute."

I didn't hear anything from Nathan, but I assumed that he nodded his head and pulled away from my tent. About half a minute after he left, I pushed myself up from the cot and put on my outfit; a thick, short-sleeved, button-down shirt, long-legged khaki pants, and a pair of dusty heavy-duty hiking boots. Before I left the tent, I took a quick look at myself in the small table mirror sitting on my work desk.

I looked surprisingly young for a scientist, much less a renowned historian. I was around thirty-three, but my face made me look as though I were still in my mid-twenties. My dark-brown hair grew to a shoulder-length mess behind my head, save for a few bangs pointing over my forehead, and what looked like a five o'clock shadow was starting to come up around my jaw. My green eyes shone brightly, even in the dim light of the tent. I smirked at my reflection; I wasn't exactly a million bucks, but I was pretty damn close for an archaeologist.

"Well, Jonathan," I muttered at my reflection, tying my hair back into a low ponytail. "Let's get to work."

Facing the tent's flap, I popped my neck, let out a deep breath, and went out into the open, almost blinded by the bright sunlight beating down on me. Once my eyes had adjusted, I looked over to the left, where I was hearing pickaxes hammering away at the rock, and I saw a deep, square pit with almost a dozen men picking at the walls and floor with their tools. At the back wall in the pit was a large doorway and looming over from behind the dig site was a large Aztec pyramid.

Almost as soon as I stepped out, I heard Nathan walk up behind me. I turned around, and he greeted, "Are you feeling alright, Professor? Is there anything you need?" I couldn't help but crack a smile. He was young, and yet he was almost always on his hands and knees to help me out.

"Nathan," I began. "Remember, you don't have to bend over backwards for me, and no, there isn't. Also, just call me John." Nathan nodded, smiling, and said, "You got it, Professor." I couldn't help but laugh.

I then turned my attention to the doorway in the pit. It didn't look in the slightest bit familiar, so I could only assume that the night crew recently dug it up while the rest of us slept.

"Any idea what's in there?" I asked Nathan. Nathan shook his head and said, "That place was just dug out. It probably leads to some catacombs under the temple." I nodded and asked, "Anyone go in there, yet?" Nathan shook his head again and said, "They were waiting for you, sir." I turned to Nathan, flashing him a grin, and said, "Let's go see it, then."

Nathan and I made our way down into the pit, passing by a few crewmen. Dust and debris filled the air as the workers chipped away at the rock walls with their pickaxes. A small pebble smacked my cheek, but I brushed it off – figuratively and literally – as I made my way to the giant tunnel entrance.

Standing at the side of the entrance was a man just a little bit older than I was. He leaned against the wall his arms crossed against his chest. He was wearing the same thing Nathan and I wore, but the only difference was that he was wearing a cowboy hat. Unlike mine, his facial hair consisted of a full goatee with some stubble for added effect.

I could tell that he saw us, because he waved at us and called out with a thick Southern accent to match his hat, "It's about time! Do y'all know how long I've been waitin'?" I chuckled and said, "Relax, Ryan. It's not like I was asleep all day." "Pretty damn close, John," Ryan shot back. I tried my hardest not to laugh; Ryan always did have the patience of a starving rat.

"So what's the verdict?" I asked Ryan as we stood in front of the dark corridor. Ryan shrugged and said, "We shined some flashlights in there, but the hall seems to go on forever, probably to the base of the pyramid." I nodded, then asked, "Any booby-traps?" Ryan turned to me and said, "Not that we know of. Why? Do you wanna play the role of Indiana Jones?" I smirked as I turned to Ryan and said, "I will, only if you play Short-Round."

Ryan laughed for a second, then turned to Nathan and told him to grab a few flashlights. Nathan complied as he left for the tool storage tent and came back a few minutes later with three torchlight flashlights. Ryan and I took ours and shined them into the darkness. I let out an anxious sigh. There could've been anything in there, anything that could kill us, but I turned to the two and motioned for them to follow me as we stepped into the dark abyss.

Five minutes into the corridor, and so far, nothing jumped out from the walls and tried to kill us. Still, the Aztecs could've done anything drastic to protect what could have been at the end of this passageway. I crept forward slowly, watching and listening for anything to happen.

I glanced quickly at my colleagues to see how they were holding up. Nathan seemed a bit more nervous than I was as his eyes shifted every which way they could. Ryan had a calm look on his face, but whether he was actually scared or not was beyond me. I looked forward, letting out a breath, and kept walking.

Another fifteen minutes passed, and we were still walking…and breathing, thankfully. The air seemed to be getting thicker as we moved closer to the end of the tunnel. My guess was that we were just stepping under the pyramid.

"Jesus," Ryan whispered. "How far does this place go?" "Maybe we've passed into the U.S.," Nathan joked, trying to lighten the mood. Ryan and I smirked, or at least I think Ryan did.

Up ahead, I could just see the walls end in a doorway, and a thick darkness beyond the threshold.

"Just hang tight, you two," I reassured. "We're just about there."

After a minute, we crossed the doorway into a large, cavernous chamber. It was pitch black, and a stale odor hung in the cool, dry air. We waved our flashlights around slowly to take in our surroundings. "That seemed a little too easy," Ryan commented. I nodded, there had to be some kind of catch. My light beam soon landed on a torch, suspended on the wall. I went over and pulled the torch out of its holster. It was light, like wood, and the smell of some kind of oil was strong on its wick.

"Does anyone have a lighter or a match or something?" I asked to anyone in particular. Nathan shined his flashlight my way and walked over, pulling out a tiny box of matches and handing it to me.

"I was following the cliché that there would be at least one torch we could use." I smirked and waved the unlit torch in my hand, saying, "Well, it didn't fail us now, at least."

I then handed my flashlight and torch to Nathan so I could light a match. Once the match was lit, I took the torch back and ignited the wick. The torch lit ablaze, lighting a giant chunk of the room. I took a look around and noticed another torch in its hanger. I went over and dipped the flame onto its wick, and a flame erupted, lighting the rest of the room.

When the room was completely lit, the three of us looked around the chamber to see what we were actually standing in, and it was nothing like we were expecting. On one side of the chamber was what looked like a nondescript stone podium, and on the other was a pair of thin pillars rising up to about eye level. On each pillar was a small amethyst gem, each roughly the size of a Double-A battery, glinting in the firelight.

Ryan too saw the gems, and walked over to them. "These could be worth a pretty penny, and then some," he mentioned greedily as he pinched the nearest gem between his finger and thumb. He lifted his hand quickly, but the gem wouldn't budge. He pulled again with a little more strength, only to get the same result. Now I could see Ryan getting agitated as he tried using both hands to get the gem free from its stand, only for his grip to slip and have him fall to the floor with a solid thud.

I winced as he collapsed onto the ground. Smirking, I crouched down to get closer and said smugly, "I don't think they're supposed to move from their places." I stifled a laugh as Ryan glared at me. "Fuck you, John," he retorted, a smirk appearing on his lips. He then stood up and swept the dust off his khaki shirt when we both heard Nathan call, "Hey, guys. Come check this out."

Ryan and I turned to Nathan to see that he was standing behind the podium, staring at the stone surface with a look of confusion. We both walked over to see what he was staring at. What we saw was some strange writing etched onto the surface.

"I've been trying to decipher it," Nathan said. "But…I think this is something else." Ryan turned to Nathan and said, "You probably didn't learn enough Aztecan. Let me try." He then pushed Nathan out of the way and took a close look. He was quiet for a second as his eyes scanned the writing, then he shrugged and said bluntly, "I can't read it."

"I thought you said you were good with Aztecan," Nathan deadpanned. Ryan turned to Nathan and snapped, "Well, I'm sorry, but this doesn't look in the slightest like Aztec writing." "Well, what else would it be?"

Nathan asked, equally confused and irritated. "We're nowhere near the Mayan or Incan ruins, and I doubt the conquistadors would be willing to make a place like this." Ryan gritted his teeth and sighed in exasperation, apparently not winning this argument.

I sighed as the two argued over what language was written on the podium, so I decided to take a closer look. Wiping whatever dust was left on the stone tablet, I suddenly felt a…familiar sensation in my mind. It was like I knew this language from somewhere, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Without knowing it, I read the message aloud.

_"__Whosoever shall read this text is worthy to wear the Mask of the Underworld. The one chosen shall gain pilgrimage to the realm of beings without hearts. Be warned, for the Mask can only be awakened with an offering of blood.__"_

I blinked twice as I reread the text over and over again. That was when I noticed that Nathan and Ryan were quiet. I looked up and saw that they were both staring at me. "Um…" I started, trying to find an explanation.

I was cut off from thinking of an excuse when I heard Nathan say, "I didn't know you were a translator as well." I sheepishly rubbed the back of my head and admitted, "Well, the only language I know other than English is Spanish…but this isn't Spanish, or anything close to it."

Ryan raised an eyebrow up to his cowboy hat as he asked, "Well, then what language is it? Because you could read it like it was the Sunday comics." I shook my head and muttered, "I…I don't know."

Nathan then asked, "Well, you said something about a blood offering, but…what're we going to use?"

I shrugged and looked down to the ground, where I noticed something leaning against the podium. I bent down, picked the object up, and took a close look at it. It looked almost like a sickle, though its appearance was incredibly macabre. It felt as though it was made of stone, and the edges of the blade were jagged. It seemed to be a rusty orange color, but compared to the beige stone surrounding us, it seemed unlikely that this blade was created in this area.

I pressed my thumb on where the sharp edge of the blade would be, and I immediately recoiled in pain. I looked down at my thumb to see a fine cut. "Something tells me that this is what we'll need to unlock this thing," I mentioned. Ryan looked between the sickle and me before getting a look on his face like he knew what was going to happen.

"No way, John," he denied, trying to take the sickle out of my hand. "We aren't letting you kill yourself over something that may not even work." I resisted the urge to slap my face as I retorted, "I'm not going to kill myself, and I just know this will work." Ryan was about to talk me out of it when I put a hand on his shoulder and said, "Trust me. This is going to work."

I then faced the podium and let out a breath. Rereading the last line in the text, I held the sickle up and pressed the tip into my palm. I hissed as I felt the tip draw a small dot, but sucked it up and slid it along my palm. Blood flowed out of the gash and landed on the stone podium surface.

Gritting my teeth, I clenched my fist and held it vertically, dark red blood oozing out of the bottom corner of my fist. The blood, much to both my and my colleagues' surprise, collected into one spot and formed a round, red circle before disappearing through an unseen crack.

Suddenly, the screeching sound of stone on stone echoed throughout the room as the flat surface of the podium split in half and spread out through the opposite ends of the podium. As the gap in the center of the podium widened, a small platform began to rise and took its place in the gap. On the platform was what appeared to be a white bone mask, streaks of my own blood coloring its surface.

Soon, the stone-on-stone screeching quieted down, leaving the stand in the center of the podium. Nathan, who had his hands pressed up to his ears and his eyes closed tightly, cracked one eye open and saw the bloodstained mask sitting on the podium.

"Is that…the Mask of the Underworld?" he asked, unsure. I could only nod, curiosity and confusion rendering me speechless.

I would've answered until I heard someone yawn. It sounded a little too deep to be Nathan, so I turned to Ryan and asked, "Jesus, after what just happened, you suddenly feel tired?" Ryan turned to me with an eyebrow raised and asked, "What're you talking about?" The smirk on my face disappeared as I asked, "Well, didn't you just yawn?" Nathan turned to me and told me, "Professor, no one yawned."

I just turned to Nathan and blinked before saying, "Well then who-" I was cut off when I heard someone say, **_"Jesus H. Christ. That was the best fucking nap I ever took."_**

I blinked again and looked around, asking, "Who just said that?" Ryan turned to me and asked, "John…you okay?" I turned to my partner and asked, "Didn't you hear that?" Ryan just looked at me and said, "No one's saying anything."

Now I was really confused. _I'm going crazy,_ I thought to myself. As if on cue, the same voice from earlier told me, **_"Nah, you're not crazy. You're just the only one out of the three who can hear me. After all…you did wake me up, didn't you, Johnny Boy?"_**

My eyes widened. Did that mean…the mask…it couldn't…I had to check and make sure. I looked down at the mask and leaned down to get a closer look at it. **_"So you finally figure it out? For a scientist, you're kinda stupid. So tell me, what's today's date?"_**

I opened my mouth and was about to say something when the mask interrupted, **_"Ah, ah, ah. No sense in making your friends think you're crazier than you already are. Don't wanna go to the funny farm, do you? Anyway, just say the date, in your head. Trust me on that."_**

I couldn't help but let out a breath before looking at the mask and reciting the date in my head. Suddenly, **_"Damn, it's been that long already? Fuck, I've been napping for a while, haven't I?"_** _I, um,_ I thought to the mask. _I guess so._

The mask let out a sigh, then told me, **_"Ah well, better get on with business. I could just give you the 'All Hail the Chosen One' speech, tell you how you're destined for greatness, blah blah blah, yadda yadda yadda, you'd be asleep by the end of my monologue, and the end."_**

_That's the short-and-sweet version?_ I asked in my head. The mask made a sound like he was shrugging his nonexistent shoulders and answered, **_"Yep, that's pretty much it. On the other hand, though, I could just show you. Just pick me up, take a deep breath, and put me on your face. It's as simple as that."_**

Soon, I felt a tapping on my shoulder. I twisted around and saw Ryan giving me a concerned look. "You all right?" he asked me. I only nodded and said, "Yeah, I'm fine." Ryan took a close look at the mask, then smirked at me and asked, "You're thinking about how much we'll get for this, aren't you?"

Not giving me a chance to answer, Ryan stood up and said, "I'm not really sure what's so special about this thing. For all we know, it could be just a mask." **_"Yeah, that's what you think, asswipe,"_** the mask fired at him, even though he couldn't hear.

I sighed, then gently gripped the sides of the mask and lifted it slowly off the pedestal. **_"Yeah, that's it. Nice and steady,"_** the mask coached. I held the mask in my hands and twisted it around so that I was looking at its back end.

"Professor," I heard Nathan ask. "What're you doing?" I paid him no attention as I moved the mask closer to my face. I could almost feel its emanating power flow through me as the mask inched closer.

Just before the mask touched my face, a bright purple light shone through the eyeholes of the mask. I moved the mask down to get a better look at what it was. Before my eyes was what seemed to be a bright purple circle of light. Creature-like tendrils seemed to whip out from the circle's edges. I looked closely to see the two gem pillars both shooting out a tiny beam of light in the center of the circle, apparently fueling it. To make matters worse, a heavy wind began to kick up, flying towards the light.

"What the hell is that?" I heard Ryan cry out over the wind. "I don't know!" I shouted back. Shielding my eyes from the bright light, I heard the mask speak to me loud and clear, **_"It's a portal."_**

I looked down to the mask and raised an eyebrow as the mask explained, **_"Remember what the message said on the stone slab, something about _****'the realm of beings without hearts?'****_ Well, this is our one-way ticket, and ours alone."_**

Without warning, I felt the mask being tugged from my grip. I fought to keep the mask in my hands, but the ever-strengthening breeze pulled it away, sucking it into the portal.

It was then that I felt gravity lose its grip on me.

I didn't have to ask a single question to know what was going on. I flailed around, trying to grip onto something to anchor myself. The good news was that I managed to grab onto the edge of the stone podium. The bad news: I caught it with the hand with the deep gash along the palm.

I yelled out in pain, but tried my hardest to keep my grip. I felt myself slipping, though, and there wasn't anything else to grab. Soon, the pull of the portal was too strong, and my hand slipped from the stone. I only flew a couple of inches before two pairs of hands grabbed onto my arm. I looked to find Nathan and Ryan straining to keep me in place. Unfortunately, the portal must've really wanted me, because I could feel the pull getting stronger, and I could feel my arm sliding out of my colleagues' grips.

I looked back at the portal, sweat dripping from my brow before turning back to Nathan and Ryan to say, "Whatever happens, just get out of here!" It was at that moment that I slid out of their grip and flew backwards into the purple light.

The next thing I saw was what looked like the inside of an amethyst whirlwind. Lightning flashed all around me as I spun around, either falling or flying. I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck All I could do was look around and panic until I heard a familiar voice say, **_"Put me on if you want to live!"_** I twisted my gaze all around until I saw the familiar white mask, twirling around almost like a piece of paper in a tornado. Frankly, dying wasn't on my to-do list at the time, so I pushed myself with all my strength to get closer to the mask.

Soon, the mask was in my reach and, eventually, my grip. I asked no questions as I slapped the mask on my face. Immediately after, I let out a blood-curdling scream, not in fear for my life, but in pain. My skin felt like it was being stretched to its maximum, and every bone in my body snapped in half and reattached over and over again. My shirt and pants felt as though they were tightening against my skin until I eventually heard the telltale tear of my clothes.

Eventually, the pain passed, and I relaxed only to remember that I was falling to what could be called either my death, or my hospitalization. Soon enough, the purple whirlwind dissipated and a blanket of gray sand zoomed towards me. That was the last thing I saw before I hit the ground and everything went black.

* * *

**And there we are; the prologue of Bleached Bone Mask. I really enjoyed writing this, much more than my other stories. Don't forget to review and, if you're generous, add this to your favorites.**

**Fun Fact:**

**Jonathan Hunt was originally going to be named Roy McCormick, after another OC in a different fic. Jonathan was also based on my History teacher, whose real name I will not release to the public.**


	2. Phase 1: The White Palace

**Hello again, and welcome to the first 'official' chapter of Bleached Bone Mask. I was surprised at all the Alerts and Favorites from the prologue alone. Let's see how you guys enjoy a little bit of graphic violence.**

**As usual, I don't own the rights to Bleach or Splatterhouse.**

"Testing, Testing." - Normal Speech  
_What was the name of the bad guy from Tron?_ - Thoughts  
**_"SPLATTERHOUSE!"_** - Hell Mask Speech  
_"The following sentence is true. The previous sentence is false."_ - Text  
**"What's there left to eat?"** - Hollow Speech

**Now then, on with the show.**

* * *

Phase 1: The White Palace

The first thing I heard when I came around was the sound of wind blowing into my ear. I opened my eyes and found myself staring up at a dark sky. Not a single star was in sight, only a few clouds and a large crescent moon.

"Ugh," I groaned out, leaning up on my elbow. Scratching the back of my head, I asked to no one in particular, "Where am I?"

Suddenly, a voice from out of nowhere spoke up, **_"The realm of heartless beings. I gotta admit, I never thought I'd actually see it with my own eyes, err, your own eyes, but still." _**I was about to panic and look around for where the voice I heard was coming from, but then I remembered what happened before I found myself where I was.

_That's right,_ I thought. _I pulled the Mask of the Underworld off the pedestal, that portal opened up, and here I am…wherever 'here' really is._

I stood up from the sandy ground and took a look at my surroundings. Surrounding me on all sides was a giant desert. Bright gray sand dunes spread out all the way to the horizon, leading to more sand. Small, frail trees seemed to dot the landscape. What really caught my eye was a silhouette of a humungous dome. It seemed to block out most of the horizon. For all I knew, it could've been as big as New York City.

**_"Beautiful, isn't it?"_**the mask asked, snapping me out of my reverie.

_I think 'gloomy' would be the word I'm looking for,_ I replied to the mask. Turning around to look at my surroundings, I asked, _So does this 'realm of the beings without hearts' have an official name or something?_

The mask made a noise like he was thinking, then I heard him (I assumed it was a 'him') answer, **_"To be honest, I have no fuckin' clue. You're the first guy to ever wear me in almost a millennium."_** I let out a deep sigh. This would be harder than I thought.

Just then, I heard something that sounded like…heavy bounds. At first, it was quiet, almost like a heartbeat. As the time passed, however, the beats started getting louder and louder, almost like the sound was coming towards me. I felt the ground beneath my feet rumble more and more as the sound intensified.

I turned every which was, hoping to find the source of the noise. I didn't have to look far when I saw what looked like the shape of a giant frog. I couldn't help but stare at the shape with an incredulous look.

I couldn't see how it was a threat, the creature being so far away, so I asked out loud, "Is that really something to be worried abou–"

I was caught off guard when I saw the frog just disappear. Nothing moved in front of its way, nor did it hide behind anything. One second, it was leaping towards me, and the next minute, it just vanished.

"Did…did that thing just…" I started, not exactly sure what to make of what I just saw. I wasn't sure whether to be on edge or at ease.

**_"Keep your guard up, Johnny,"_** the mask ordered. **_"I don't think whatever that thing was would just poof away and leave us alone."_** Aside from its cocky attitude I've heard so far, it actually sounded as though it were preparing for a fight.

I was about to say something when I felt something the ground shake vigorously behind me. The next thing I knew, a stream of hot air blew against my back, followed by what sounded like hoarse breathing.

**_"Uh, John?"_** the mask started, whispering for some reason. **_"I think that thing's–"_**

I cut the mask off with an exasperated sigh. _I know,_ I sent to him. _Believe me…I know._ I sucked in a deep breath and twisted around to see what was behind me. The first thing I saw was a pair of yellow eyes, staring down mine. Despite my confused fear, I stepped beck to get a better look at the thing. I hit a bull's-eye when I said that it was a frog, though I didn't think that it would be almost half a foot taller than I was. The only difference was that its skin was a shade of dark gray with a few splotches of black.

In direct contrast to its skin was the face. It was pure white and seemed to be stiff, like bone. Set on the face where the mouth would be was what seemed to be like a toothy grin, but it was far from friendly. It looked more like a skeleton's grin, no telling whether it had good intentions or bad. The only way I could tell what it was feeling was its eyes, and they seemed…curious?

The creature leaned closer, and I nearly stepped back in reflex as it breathed in my scent a few times. The frog-like…thing then moved back a couple of feet and apparently tried to grin with its stiff face.

**"A human,"** it croaked out in a deep and raspy voice. **"It's funny. With your mask and power radiating from you, I almost thought you were another Hollow."**

I blinked a few times. I couldn't tell if it was intended to be a compliment or not. Its eyes seemed friendly, but I kept my guard up as I skeptically replied, "Um, thank you?"

The mask then said, **_"Well I'll be damned. Looks like this guy's harmless. Maybe you can ask him to take you that big-ass building over there."_** Believe it or not, I was actually tempted to do that.

Unfortunately, the creature's eyes turned from pleasant to menacing as he said in a darker tone, **"I'll bet your soul tastes intoxicating."** My eyes widened as the mask said, **_"Then again, maybe he's not."_**

Before I could argue with him, the frog's front paw lifted up into the and was sent flying down at me. Acting on reflex, I ducked to the right and rolled along the ground. I stood up and faced the frog only to see it shoot out its long tongue. I couldn't act in time as I felt the tongue wrap around my waist and reel me in, like a fish on a hook. I dug my feet into the ground, but the sand offered little resistance as I was dragged forward.

**_"Dammit, John," _**the mask chastised me. I was about to shoot something back at the mask when it said, **_"Fight back! Those new muscles of yours aren't for decoration, y'know!"_**

I blinked at that. Muscles? I looked down at myself to see that he was right. I had a torso that would make any bodybuilder look jealous. I would've admired myself had I forgotten that I was about to be lunch. Taking a chance, I wrapped two giant hands around the frog's tongue and squeezed tightly.

I could tell I did some damage, because the tongue let go of my waist, and the frog was roaring in pain. I blinked a few times, but shrugged it off as I pulled the tongue towards me with a hard yank. I had more strength than I thought, because instead of falling forwards, the frog flew right at me.

**_"Punch that bitch,"_** the mask shouted, sounding like he was enjoying this. As soon as the frog was a few feet in front of me, I pulled a fist back and threw it forward into the beast's front teeth. I felt my arm shudder as my fist left several cracks on and above the creature's teeth, the force of the blow sending it flying a few yards back.

As the frog landed on the ground in a crumpled heap, I shook my fist around to ease the pain. Apparently, its face was made of something other than skin, but I didn't worry myself with that. Almost immediately, the monster pushed itself off the ground with its front feet. I wasn't planning on letting it attack again, so I sprinted towards the creature and reached out for its face.

I didn't give any warning as I pried the beast's giant mouth open. It pushed with all its strength to clamp its jaws shut, but I was stronger, if only by a small degree. Pushing against the frog's jaw strength, I managed to widen its maw and keep it propped open with an arm and a foot. Out of the corners of my eyes, I saw the frog's front legs flailing around.

**"Eh oh uh ee,"** it cried out at me, which I believed translated to, "Let go of me!" I ignored its demands as I charged up a fist. With incredible strength, I threw the clenched fist into the frog's throat.

I nearly threw up when I felt my hand wave around in the moist pipe. I could feel the creature's throat vibrate as it tried to let out a wail of pain, only to have a something sound like a gag escape. I had a feeling that it was probably going to vomit all over me, but I brushed the thought out of my mind as I clenched onto the walls of the throat.

The creature let out another gag of pain as my fingers dug into the pipe, eventually breaking through the inner skin. I then began to pull my hand out, the frog's throat still punctured by my hand.

As I jerked my hand out of the frog's mouth, I shouted with rage, "You could really use a BREATH MINT!" At those last two words, the beast's throat, followed by its stomach, slid out with a sickeningly wet sound. The creature let out a shrieking wail before it fell to the ground, not moving a single muscle.

I looked down at my hand to see that it was coated with both blood and some type of slime. Slinging it off my hand, I heard the mask say, **_"Holy shit…that was AWESOME! Something tells me you enjoyed that."_**

I sighed, popped my knuckles, and told the mask, "I wouldn't say that, but I'd rather be coated in blood and gunk than in that thing's gut." As he mask laughed, I took another look at my body. More blood shot out than I thought, because my pants, or what was left of them, and stomach were coated in a thick layer.

Then, to my surprise, the blood began to soak into my skin. Even stranger was that the blood pouring out of the creature's throat began sliding towards my feet and flowing up my leg.

I was both confused and surprised, until I heard the mask sigh in contentment. **_"That was delicious,"_** he said, sounding very satisfied. I cringed, but I wasn't sure why.

**_"Oh, sorry, I forgot to tell you,"_** the mask added, not sounding entirely apologetic. **_"See, um…I have what you may call…a craving for blood. Blood helps me stay alive, and keeps me keep you from getting killed."_**

I swallowed the lump that immediately formed in my throat before nervously replying, "Well, that's, um, that's good to know." Suddenly, the mask let out a hearty wheeze that soon grew into a laugh. **_"Relax, guy,"_** he eased. **_"I'm not gonna go so far as to try and kill you for my food. If I did that, I'd be stuck here on your rotting face for God knows how long. That wouldn't be good for either of us, would it?"_**

I sighed as I asked the mask, "You have a really sick sense of humor. Do you know that?" The mask was silent, but I could almost feel it give off a cocky smile. I sighed once again, then said, "We should check out that dome over there."

**_"Not a bad idea,"_** the mask replied, a tone of mock in his voice. **_"I had a feeling there was something besides hot air in that skull of yours."_** I ignored his backhanded compliment as I walked across the sandy dunes, headed for the dome.

It felt as though fifteen minutes went by, and we were nowhere closer to the dome. Despite the ground we covered, the massive dome seemed to stay the same size, if not appear at least a little closer. _'Just how far do we have to walk just to get to this place?'_ I thought to myself.

As usual, since the mask could listen in on my formerly 'private' thoughts, he answered, **_"I dunno. Maybe two or three years?"_** He then let out a wheezy chuckle, as though he told me the funniest joke in the world. I, on the other hand, just felt my eye twitch in annoyance.

I then let out a breath and asked the mask on my face, "So is there anything I can call you? I mean, if we're going to be partners in this place, I need to find something to call you other than 'the Mask of the Underworld.'" The mask was quiet for a second, and I felt that he was ignoring my question.

He then let out a heavy sigh and said, **_"I've been called many things in my time. Hell Mask, Terror Mask, the Tool of the Corrupted…"_** I raised an eyebrow and was about to ask him about that last title when he cut me off and said, **_"That's a story for another time, unfortunately."_**

I stayed quiet and only nodded slightly, allowing the mask to continue as I kept walking. **_"Anyway, when it came to naming myself, I never really gave it any thought,"_** he continued. I soon heard him make a noise like he was in thought, along with a few quiet murmurs to himself. After what felt like a minute of silence, the mask cleared it's nonexistent throat and announced with unneeded passion, **_"From this day forth, I shall be known as…Masque!"_**

I blanched at that. I came to a complete stop and stared forward as I deadpanned, "Masque? Seriously?"

**_"What?"_** 'Masque' asked, curious as to what I was thinking. **_"It's with a 'q-u-e' instead of the 'k'. What's wrong with that?"_**

If Masque weren't covering my face, I would've pinched the bridge of my nose. It was, to put it bluntly, stupid. "I know that," I replied, trying to hide my annoyance. "It's just that…Masque seems a little…unoriginal."

Masque growled and snapped at me, **_"Alright then, smart guy. Let's see you fucking come up with something better."_** I nodded and then held my fist up to my chin in thought. A few names ran through my mind, but none of them seemed to fit Masque.

_Let's see,_ I pondered, my eyes shifting around as I ran a few scenarios in my head. I thought back to when Ryan, Nathan, and I found the mask in a chamber under the Aztec pyramid. Suddenly, that memory led me back to my high school history class. I remembered when we first learned about the Aztecs living in Tenochtitlan, and they were ruled by… "How about…" I started, hesitating for a few seconds. "…Montezuma?"

The mask was quiet, so I immediately assumed he was thinking it over. He soon replied, **_"Hmm…I didn't much care for the guy himself, but I like how the name rolls off the tongue."_** He then began repeating the name over and over again to prove his point. I chuckled to myself quietly at this. I was about to tell him that he didn't have a tongue, but I decided to let him have his fun.

When he was done, I asked, "So you like the name?" The mask let out a laugh before saying, **_"Oh yeah. Not a bad choice. Oh, wait. Hang on a second."_** He then made the throat-clearing sound again and was quiet for almost half a minute.

**_"From this moment on,"_** he announced, the same way he did the first time. **_"I will be known as…Montezuma!"_** I tried to stifle a laugh as 'Montezuma' stayed quiet, giving off an aura of pride.

"So, 'Montezuma,'" I started, smiling behind Montezuma. "Are you ready to get going?" The mask sighed, albeit it sounded more content then depressed, as he said, **_"Yeah, let's move."_** I nodded before I started sprinting towards the dome in front of us.

Almost ten minutes after I began running, I soon saw the detail of the dome pierce through the darkness of its silhouette. In contrast to the sand, it was purely white, with no single blemish from what I could see. Surrounding the main building was six cylindrical, solid white buildings that almost reached up to the top of the dome. When I squinted hard enough, I could just make out a few smaller towers on the tip of the dome. It looked more like a palace than just an average dome, but it looked nothing like any Aztec ruin I had ever seen.

Montezuma whistled and complimented excitedly, **_"Now that's one hell of a crib!"_** I only nodded, skidding to a stop along the sandy ground. I said nothing, only panted to catch my breath, as I stared at the palace in awe. I couldn't help but think of who or what may have been living in there.

I was about to take a step forward until a deep voice that seemed to surround me bellowed, **"Who dares trespass on these sacred grounds?"**

I flinched and looked all around, looking for the source of the voice. Soon, I calmed down and folded my arms across my chest, saying, "Nice try, Montezuma."

**_"Huh?"_** the mask in question replied. **_"I didn't say anything. I heard it, too."_** What he just said made me raise an eyebrow. Unlike every other time he spoke to me, this time, he sounded completely honest. "If that wasn't you, then who–"

The voice resounded again, this time saying, **"Those who are not permitted shall not enter Las Noches."** _Las Noches,_ I asked myself, looking towards the gigantic palace. _Is that what they call that place?_

Suddenly, I felt the sand shift underneath my feet. I looked down and saw small pseudo-rivers of sand slither between my feet and under my boots, joining together at one spot a short distance in front of me. Slowly but surely, the small pile of sand grew larger and wider.

**_"I think you should move, Johnny," _**Montezuma suggested. I made no sound of approval as I stepped back slowly, watching the sand pile grow larger more quickly now. I twisted around and began to run until I was encompassed by a large shadow. I slid to a stop along the sand and turned around. What I saw was both unbelievable and frightening.

Looming over me was a giant, gray being. His arms were long, almost reaching the ground, and his forearms…well, to put it simply, they made me think of the old Popeye cartoons. They were that big around. I looked upward to get a good look at its head. It looked pretty much like a giant sandcastle with a white face on it. What really caught my attention was the hole in the center of its chest. It suddenly made me think of the etchings on the tablet: _The one chosen shall be granted access to the realm of beings without hearts._

_Is this what that text was talking about?_ I thought to myself as the giant sandman looked down at Montezuma and me. With a deep breath, the being announced, **"I am Runuganga, the Guardian of the White Sands. You are not allowed to pass."**

Montezuma and I could both only say the same thing:

**_"Oh, fuck me."_**

"Oh, fuck me."

* * *

**Alright, that was the next chapter in John's trek through the desert. Also, I shall grant immortality for whoever can guess where the Thoughts quote in the dialogue key came from.**

**As usual, read, review, and favorite.**


	3. Phase 2: Battle of the Beasts

**Damn, three chapters in two days. I'm actually working kinda fast with this. Now then, I've had some trouble with this chapter mostly, because it was kinda hard for me to describe the action in this without repeating myself and saying Runaganga seven billion times. Still, I think I did great work with this, and thankfully, this chapter isn't just action-in-writing.**

**By the way, in case you just skimmed the last chapter, the Hell Mask is going to be called Montezuma from here on out, so if you're thinking to yourself, 'Since when did he have the Aztec emperor with him?', well it's just the mask's new name.**

"Normal Speech"  
_Thought Speech_  
**_"Montezuma Speech"_**  
**"Hollow Speech"**  
_'Text'_

* * *

Phase 2: Battle of the Beasts

Runuganga threw down a giant fist aimed at me, but I leapt backwards before it slammed into the ground. Runuganga then swept his other hand at me. I barely managed to duck in time. I could feel the wind from the attack as his hand passed just over my head. I could only imagine what would've happened if I dodged it too late.

Runuganga let out a guttural roar as he threw down another fist. I was about to jump backwards again when I heard Montezuma say, **_"Try hitching a ride."_** It might've been the adrenaline running through my body and mind, but I immediately realized that he was talking about the sandman's giant fist. My mind didn't want to, but my body was already acting on its own.

Just before the fist landed on the ground, I had already leaped up to the giant's speeding fist. I missed the attacking fist by an inch, but I managed to grab onto Runuganga's arm. Despite the fact that he was made of sand, his arm was sturdy enough to at least hold me.

Runuganga, however, didn't really take to me riding his arm very kindly, because the next thing I knew, his other hand was slung down at me, like he was trying to swat a mosquito. I leaped off the arm I was holding and grabbed onto the back of Runuganga's other hand before sliding down onto that next arm. I took a look at Runuganga's face, and I didn't have to read his eyes to know that he wanted to kill me even more now. Without giving it another thought, I ran up the behemoth's forearm, making my way towards its head.

As soon as I reached the upper arm, I felt something rush towards me. I turned around and saw Runuganga's hand rush right at me, like he wanted to grab me. **_"Jump for it, Johnny," _**Montezuma coached, so I did, just before the giant hand squeezed me in its grip. Like earlier, I ran along the arm, making sure not to fall off from this height. Another swatting hand came down, but I managed to dodge it in time as I made my way to the upper arm.

Soon, I was on Runuganga's giant shoulder. I took a second to glance down at the ground. The height was staggering; I knew this guy was huge, but still, this was almost overkill. I managed to catch a glimpse of another open palm speeding towards me. Seriously, what was it with this guy and squashing me like a bug?

I slid to the side and I found myself right in front of Runuganga's face. I didn't need Montezuma's advice to do what I did next. I reeled back a meaty fist and threw it into the sandman's face. All that happened was that I felt my knuckles shatter.

"OW! Fuck," I shouted, clutching my wrist. My hand throbbed, and my knuckles were red and purple. It looked like my fist was only bruised, but it still confused me. Two things should've happened. One; my fist should've gone straight through Runuganga's face, considering he was made of sand. Two, and this was the one I was hoping for; the attack would've cracked its face and sent the sand giant in pain.

**_"Quit your whining, you little pussy,"_** Montezuma scolded. **_"You may wanna stop worrying about your hand and worry about the one coming right at you."_** I turned my attention away from my throbbing knuckles and looked up. Sure enough another one of Runuganga's fists was flying towards me.

"Holy shit," I muttered in surprise. Thankfully, because of my reflexes, I jumped down from the sandman's collar, missing the fist by a centimeter as it crashed into his own face. I then slid along the giant's chest and dug my fingers into the sand. Thankfully, it was compacted tightly enough to keep me from falling any more than I had to, and I came to a stop just above the hole in the sandman's chest. I then looked up and saw what seemed like a firework of sand where Runuganga's head originally was.

That was when I felt the rest of the behemoth's body topple backwards. I took that as my chance. When the body was level enough, I picked myself up and began sprinting. I felt the sand loosen under my boots, but I ignored it as I kept moving up to the shoulders. By the time I got there, the body was just about to hit the ground.

**_"Jump for it,"_** I heard Montezuma say. I nodded then leaped off as soon as the sandy body hit the desert floor. I rolled along the ground before catching myself on my feet and skidding to a stop, facing where Runuganga was originally standing, now a new sand dune. I panted for a few seconds before straightening myself up and turning to the palace, Las Noches.

"That seemed a little too easy," I commented, taking a few steps forward. Montezuma sighed and said, **_"As long as that thing's down, it's all the same. I hate that we didn't get any blood out of it though."_** I sighed as I moved forward towards Las Noches.

I only took about two or three steps when I heard a familiar voice utter, **"I never gave you permission to approach the palace."** My eyes widened as I spun around, seeing the sand pile rising once again.

I stared as Runuganga reformed himself, saying, "I knew it was too easy." Once the sand giant was back to his prime, Montezuma told me, **_"I think we should run."_** I didn't need to be told twice; I turned tail and ran for Las Noches, kicking up a cloud of dust as I sped through.

**"You can't run from me, human!"** I didn't bother turning around to face him again. I had just fought him once, and if that didn't work, I doubted it would work a second time.

Suddenly, a wide area of sand dropped into the ground, leaving only a deep pit. My eyes widened as I stepped to the left, running along the edge of the pit. I took a look inside, but all I could see was darkness.

**_"Watch the fuck out,"_** the mask yelled, breaking my concentration from the pit right beside me. Just in front of me was another pit; connected to the one I was close to. There wasn't enough room for me to steer out of the way, so I only had one choice.

Just before I stepped off the edge of the pit in front of me, I kicked off and hopped to the side, just barely missing the gap. I looked back at the pits before I heard what sounded like a geyser in front of me. I faced forward and saw what looked like a tower of sand shooting up in the air. Surprised, I ducked to the right, only to steer myself into another sand jet.

As I sidestepped out of the way, I heard Montezuma demand, **_"What the hell is going on here?"_** I had just dodged another sand geyser before saying, "It must be the sandman back there." Soon, I cleared the last of the sand spouts only to feel the wind pick up.

I looked behind me to see a giant cyclone shifting quickly towards me. I skidded to a stop and stared at the cyclone disbelievingly. Extremely irritated, I cried at the top of my lungs, "YOU'VE GOTTA BE SHITTING ME!" At that last word, the twister's pull lifted me off the ground and up in the air.

I spun around in the air, the sand scratching me as it brushed my skin at high speeds. I felt my weight being thrown around, like a tetherball around a pole. I couldn't tell what I felt more: terrified, pissed, or nauseous. After a few minutes of spinning, I was soon flung out of the whirlwind and sent flying away from the white palace. I didn't fly for very long before something or someone grabbed me from midair.

My head was swimming, and I could barely make out what was in front of me. I wanted to throw up, but I had the feeling that Montezuma would pop off my face and abandon ship right there. After about a minute, my vision cleared, and I could immediately see who plucked me out of the air.

Runuganga pulled me closer to his face and narrowed his yellow eyes at me. **"You insubordinate human,"** he hissed, keeping everything below my waist clenched in his fist. **"I already said that you don't have permission to enter Las Noches."**

I then heard Montezuma comment, **_"This guy's a broken record."_** I nodded subtly as I tried to free myself from the sand colossus's grip. Unfortunately, he had me squeezed in pretty tight, and he still had strength to spare.

The next thing I knew, I soon felt my legs being crushed by Runuganga's tightening hold. I cried out in pain; I could've sworn my legs were being crushed into jelly. I needed to get free, but I couldn't budge.

Suddenly, I felt something crawl under the skin of my arms. Unless his grip was strong enough to have my arms explode, it didn't feel like the sandman was doing it. Immediately, I felt an extremely sharp pain erupt from my arms, almost as though something was shooting out of them. I gritted my teeth and clenched my eyes in pain.

Eventually the pain subsided, but something felt…different about my arms. I looked down at them to see that something had shot though my arms: two bone-white spikes, no, blades, poking through my arms, each one stained with blood. I looked at each bone blade with confusion and surprise.

Runuganga was surprised as well, because his yellow eyes widened and he stuttered, **"Wh-what is this?"**

Montezuma, on the other hand, sounded like this was a good thing. **_"Now this'll work,"_** I heard him say. Before I could ask him what he was talking about, he told me, **_"Well, what're you waiting for, a phone call from the president? Cut yourself free and kill this son of a bitch!"_**

I held my arms up, taking another look at my new weapon. When I clenched my fists, the blades shot out so that they were almost as long as my arm. I let out an impressed whistle before glaring at the sand giant with a scowl on my face.

I then rammed the blades into Runuganga's fist and sliced it in half, the separated piece falling to the desert floor below. Almost as soon as I freed myself, I kicked off from the giant's fist and soared towards the giant itself. As soon as I got close enough, I shoved the blades into the behemoth's sandy body.

My blades held tight into the beast's sandy flesh, holding me tightly enough to pull one blade out and shove it into a higher spot on the body. I then pulled myself up and did the same with the other blade, climbing higher and higher up to its masked face.

Runuganga, on the other hand, was in a state of fury. He tried to slap me off of his chest with a giant hand, but I swung my free blade a couple of times to cut cleanly through it. The giant hand fell to the ground, split into several pieces, as I kept climbing until I was up to his shoulders.

**"I-I will not let you win,"** the sand giant declared, his voice quivering. I was already in front of the giant's face when he cried, **"YOU WILL NOT ENTER!"** I couldn't help but sigh. This guy was really getting annoying. I then spread my arms out, the blades jutting out to their farthest, and swung them inwards across the giant's faces.

My blades slid easily through, like a knife through hot butter. Runuganga's head was slashed in half, his eyes frozen wide with horror. **_"Stop talking, God Dammit,"_** Montezuma hissed, just as annoyed as I was. **_"You're giving me a headache."_**

The next thing I knew, my feet started sinking into the sandy body. I looked at the rest of the giant figure and saw that it was dissolving back into sand. The giant's arms turned to dust and fell to the ground as the rest of the body was "melting." I let out a relieved sigh as I slowly dropped to the ground, my bone blades receding into my arms and the wounds they left behind healing shut.

I heard Montezuma whistle and say, **_"Nice one, Johnny Boy. I didn't think you'd be so handy with those new blades of yours."_** I sighed as I rubbed my arms, the feeling of the blades still lingering.

While the power did feel amazing, I couldn't help but think of what was happening. First, I arrived here in this bleak desert with the body of an overzealous bodybuilder and the strength of a carnival sideshow, and just then, I wound up with blades implanted in my arms that could cut possibly through anything. What would I be able to do next? What the hell was I turning into?

Montezuma didn't sound anything at all concerned as he said, **_"Come on. The place is close by. We can make great time if you run it."_** I nodded, then turned around and sprinted for Las Noches. As I approached the giant palace, I couldn't help but feel like something, or someone, was watching me.

I had been running for what felt like an hour before I finally managed to make it to the base of the building. I leaned against the wall to catch my breath. I could feel myself sweating from behind Montezuma. After a few seconds, I began to feel like there was enough air in my lung for me to even blink.

**_"Well, John, we're here,"_**Montezuma said, stating the obvious. **_"Now let's see if we can find a door."_** I, on the other hand, chose something different. I leaned in with my ear against the wall and began tapping. I kept moving along and tapping the wall, ignoring a curious Montezuma's question, until I heard a hollow thud behind one section of the wall. I smirked behind the mask and faced the white stone.

I let in a couple of deep breaths and relaxed myself. Suddenly, I threw my fists and began punching on the wall, cracking it with each hit. My fists began bleeding, but I ignored the pain as I destroyed the wall. In a little more than a minute, my fist managed to break through a weak point and penetrate the wall.

As I rested my sore and throbbing knuckles, I heard Montezuma say, **_"Or you could crash through a wall and save time. That's a better idea." _**My only response was a nod.

As soon as the pain in my hands eased up, I reached into the hole and began pulling out the debris. The sharp edges of the stone dug into my hands as I pried out more and more, until there was a big enough hole for me to go through. I peered inside and only saw darkness.

I thought I was up shit creek without a paddle until I checked my pockets. From my left pocket, I pulled out a small box of matches. I nearly forgot; I borrowed them from Nathan to light the torch in the mask chamber. I fumbled with the matchbox – it was a lot harder with my giant thumbs and fingers – and managed to pull out a match, which I immediately struck against the box. As soon as the match ignited, I stepped into the darkness, keeping silent.

A few minutes into the cavern, the match went out, nearly burning my finger. I pulled out another match and struck it against the box lighting it. Montezuma, who had been surprisingly quiet, just asked out of nowhere, **_"So, what's with the silent treatment, Johnny? You still disturbed by what happened with the big-ass sandman?"_** I stopped in the spot where I was standing, eliciting a noise of confusion from Montezuma.

I let out a sigh and asked, "Just be honest with me, Montezuma…what exactly am I becoming?" If the mask was about to answer me, I didn't give it a chance as I added, "I want to know…what do you actually need me for, and how much of a monster do I have to become?"

Montezuma was quiet for a second before I heard him sigh and say, **_"So far, John, I've been enjoying the carnage of this place. There are things here around every corner that'll want to kill you and eat your organs, and you justify that by killing them first. I enjoy every second of blood, carnage, and war just as much as the next guy, but, believe it or not, I wanna go home, too."_** I blinked at that. Was he being serious, or was he just trying to pull a fast one?

I was still unsure as Montezuma continued, **_"You're my only ticket home. If I could just sprout legs and walk, I'd leave you to die just like that. Since I can't, and you're pretty much the only person around who can wear me, we're going to have to work together, even if that means making you lose your humanity. You let me stay on your face when you're going into a fight, and I'll make sure you stay alive until we get out of here, deal?"_**

I kept quiet as I thought for a few seconds. Montezuma really sounded like he was pouring his heart out, or whatever he had, into his explanation. Still, I had a few qualms with trusting an ancient Aztec mask that could turn me into a three-way combination of John Cena, the Incredible Hulk, and Jason Voorhees.

After a minute of thought, I sighed and replied, "Alright, you have a deal. Just remember, I'm not saying I trust you, and what you said about making me lose my humanity really didn't help you at all…but I'm also not saying that I don't need your help either."

I know Montezuma can't really smile, but I could swear that his at the time would've been from ear to ear. **_"Alright…by the way, watch your finger."_** Before I could do so much as raise an eyebrow, I felt the flames on the match burn my finger. I hissed in pain and shook my hand around to ease the pain. Montezuma laughed as I pulled out another match and lit it before continuing down the dark hallway.

It was only a matter of time before stumbled upon a staircase leading up to what seemed to be a steel door. **_"Maybe that's the way out,"_** Montezuma suggested. I nodded and went up the staircase, throwing down the match I had in my hand. When I got to the top of the stairs, I felt around for the handle.

When I got a feel for the handle and gripped it, I told Montezuma, "Well, we're on the home stretch." Of course, I had no idea how wrong I was until I actually opened the door. I passed the threshold, only to run into a round, unnaturally lit room with nine passageways. They surrounded me on all sides, all possibly leading to my death.

Montezuma chose that moment to speak up. **_"Well, shit,"_** was all he said. He took the words right out of my mouth. **_"Hmm…maybe,"_** I heard him think. After listening to the mask mutter for a few seconds, he then told me, **_"John, I want you to close your eyes and point your finger forward."_**

I already had the feeling that I knew what he was planning, but I still did as he told me anyway. Once my eyes were shut and I was pointing right in front of me, Montezuma added, **_"Now spin around until I say stop."_** I nodded and spun around, just fast enough to not feel like vomiting – I already had to deal with that once that day.

I spun around for what felt like five minutes until I heard Montezuma finally say, **_"Alright, stop."_** I complied, and opened my eyes. I was facing the same doorway that I had just walked in through. I gritted my teeth and growled as Montezuma giggled like a madman.

"Fuck it," I deadpanned. "I'm just going with the grab bag. I don't care where it takes me." I then turned back around and began walking through a random hallway, not really sure what waited for me at the end.

* * *

**For those of you wondering how John was able to kill Runaganga with a slash across the face when Runaganga punched himself and basically came out unharmed, well, he didn't kill him. All John did was knock him out long enough to make it to Las Noches, but John doesn't know that, at least, not yet.**

**Now that that's all said and done, this is going to be the part where I'll have a problem. I can't, for the life of me, think of who John should fight now. I don't really want to use Dordoni because, well, he's a little too eccentric. So I will be putting up a poll to see who you want to see John fight. Will he go up against Dordoni, Cirucci, Gantenbainne, Aaronierro, or Szayel Apporo?**

**Also, if you want him to fight an Arrancar who wasn't fought first in the manga, tell me in your review or send me a PM telling me who. You will have until Monday to vote.**

**As per usual, R&R**


	4. Phase 3: The Mad Scientist

**I have reached the fourth chapter mark! There's hope for this story after all! *ahem***

**Anyway, according to the poll, only four people voted on who they wanted to see John to fight. Of those four, three chose Szayel Aporro, and only one chose Cirucci. For whoever it was that voted for Cirucci, I'll see if I can make that in an alternate scene. **

**Funny thing: Yesterday, the internet went down, so I wrote half this chapter out of boredom. I thought that if you guys chose someone else, I'd have to start all over, but Szayel won, so I just went with it.**

**As usual, I don't own shit.**

"Normal Speech"  
_Thought Speech  
_**_"Montezuma's Speech"  
_****"Hollow Speech"  
**_'Written Text'_

* * *

Phase 3: The Mad Scientist

Considering what Montezuma and I went through throughout the day, the walk was, in a sense, easy. The hallway was dimly lit, but it was brighter than the corridor I crashed through to get into the palace. The only sound that could be heard was my footsteps echoing down the passageway. Even then, I kept my guard up; the desert was quiet, and we still had to take care of that sand giant, Runaganga. There was no telling what could've been in here.

Montezuma, being the patient man – err, mask – he was, asked in a childish tone, _**"Are we there yet? C'mon, this is getting boring." **_It wouldn't have bothered me if it weren't the umpteenth time he asked me the same thing.

"I told you, Montezuma," I told him, my voice seething with annoyance. "We'll get there when we get there. You should know that, because you're seeing the same things I am." Montezuma only shrugged, as if he were doing nothing wrong.

"_**Unless it's dark red and six times thicker than water,"**_ he stated, matter-of-factly. _**"I don't bother with it. Now hurry up and get us where we need to go."**_ If he were an actual human being and not attached to my face, I would've socked him right in the lip.

"I don't care if you can only see things that have a XXX-rating," I scolded, pretty much on my last nerve. "Just shut up, let me go my own pace, and this trip will over before you–" Before I could finish my sentence, I felt the tiles underneath my feet vanish, and the scenery changed to what looked and felt like a black abyss.

I didn't fall for very long, just a couple of seconds, before I landed on what felt like a slick ramp. I slid down in the darkness until a light appeared in front of me. The paranoid side of my mind said that the locals who lived in this place didn't take too kindly to me breaking in, and decided to send me to my slow and painful death. The optimistic side, however, said that I'd probably be able to talk to whoever was in charge of this place. I hoped like hell it was the second option. The next thing I knew, I fell off the ramp and painfully tumbled across the ground.

I lifted myself from the floor and looked up to see where I was. Unlike the hallway I was just walking through before what just happened, this place was wider and more brightly lit, letting me see where exactly I was. The ground was dotted with giant yellow tiles, and the walls were a bright baby blue. The ceiling was incredibly high up from the ground, almost making it seem like a containment chamber for something huge. It seemed unlikely; if that were the case, there would've been dried blood on the floor and walls.

I stood up to my feet as I heard Montezuma say, _**"It's not really my style. I would've gone for something that looks like the inside of a human heart."**_ I didn't bother commenting on that. Even though we've only been partners for about a few hours, I was used to it, amazingly.

Suddenly, the sound of light footsteps resounded from behind me. On instinct, I twisted around and got into a fighting stance, but I eased up when I saw what seemed to be a human being. Considering the fact that I had seen a frog and a sandman, this was a new, and seemingly strange, turnaround for me.

The first thing I noticed was that he had pink hair that went down to his shoulders, making me think he was a woman for a second. On his face was what seemed to be a pair of square glasses, making him look like a scientist. What really caught my attention was that he was wearing nothing but white; a long, white coat that went down to his ankles, white shoes, and white gloves. The only thing on him that wasn't white was the black stripes running down his coat and sleeves. Hanging on his waist was a katana sheathed in a gray scabbard.

"_**Watch your back, Johnny,"**_ Montezuma warned, his tone cautious. _**"Something about this guy doesn't feel right, even by my standards."**_ I nodded in agreement. I could feel something sinister about this guy as well.

The man brushed a couple of bangs off his face and said in a condescending tone, "So you're the one who managed to defeat Runaganga and infiltrate Las Noches, hmm? You seem to be more of a brute than I expected." Another backhanded compliment, goody. "Now then," he began, his devious eyes staring straight at mine. "Do you have a name, or are you just another mindless savage with no grasp on civility?"

My eyes narrowed at the guy. I hadn't met him just five seconds ago, and already, that tone of his made me want to kill him. Nonetheless, I kept calm as I replied, "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours. I might as well be polite…for a savage."

I didn't have to be close to the pink-head to know that he was smirking at me. He then pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose and replied, "Maybe your appearance doesn't exactly make you completely dim-witted. Still, listen well, because you may not be able to remember this the first time." Something told me that this guy loved to put others down. He then bowed in an exaggerated manner and introduced, "My name is Szayel Aporro Granz, the Octava Espada."

I bowed my head and said only, "Jonathan Hunt." I didn't want to get into too much detail with who I was, at least, not yet. Szayel didn't seem to mind, apparently, because he kept the smirk that screamed trouble.

"Charmed, I'm sure," he responded, his tone the same as ever. "Now tell me. How was a human like you able to arrive here in Hueco Mundo, much less sneak into our headquarters?"

_So that's what this realm is called,_ I deducted, keeping a straight face, which was easy considering Montezuma completely covered my face. _But what'd he mean by _'a human like me?'_ Isn't he human as well? If he's not, then what is he? _I then cleared my throat and said, "I really don't think that's anyone's business."

Szayel only closed his eyes, shook his head and chuckled, the grin still plastered on his face. I was confused until he said, "That's too bad. I was actually hoping to get to know who you really were." For some reason, I was about to apologize. Before I could, however, his eyes opened and flashed with a murderous, psychopathic atmosphere as he finished, "At least before you die here, of course."

Hearing those dark words, I immediately leaped back and held my fists up boxer style. "Oh, don't worry," Szayel reassured, his tone slightly more malicious. "I'm not going to be the one to kill you. I'm not particularly fond of getting my hands dirty." He then held a hand up and snapped his fingers.

The next thing I knew, a section of wall exploded between me and the Espada. I shielded my eyes from the kick-up of dust. When the dust cleared, standing between me and Szayel Aporro was something of a giant. Granted, he wasn't as big as Runaganga, but his head almost touched the ceiling, so that had to count for something. He had two spikes of hair sticking out from the sides of his head, almost like a clown. What really grabbed my attention was the piece of mask on his face.

It almost reminded me of the frog I had fought when I first arrived in Hueco Mundo. The strange thing was that, instead of covering the entirety of his face, it only covered just the left eye, the nose, and the upper lip. Every other part of his face was visible to the world.

"My dear Jonathan," Szayel announced. "Allow me to introduce you to Medazeppi, one of my most powerful Fracción. He should be more than enough for you." He then turned to the giant and commanded, "Medazeppi…eliminate him." The giant in question let out a deep roar as he charged straight at me. He then threw a giant palm down at me, but I rolled out of the way before the strike made its mark.

_Any ideas, Montezuma?_ I asked the mask mentally. The mask made no sound, but I guessed that it was trying to come up with an idea. Unfortunately, he wasn't thinking quick enough as Medazeppi threw a large fist at me. I dove to the left, the giant's fist breaking open a hole in the wall I was standing in front of.

Medazeppi turned and glared at me with his visible yellow eye before roaring again and throwing another punch. Montezuma chose that moment to say, _**"Grab his hand and throw him around."**_ I didn't have time to question him as I reached out and felt the force of the fist crash into me.

I slid back a few feet, but I still managed to keep a firm grip on Medazeppi's fist. The giant Fraccion let out a noise of confusion as he tried to make sense of what just happened. I didn't give him the chance as I lifted the fist and threw the giant over my shoulder with all my strength. Medazeppi's feet crashed through the ceiling, sending debris falling down around me as I flung the Fracción in an arc.

When the giant landed hard on his back, I stepped up to the giant's hand and wrapped my hands around the top of one of his fingers. "Let's see how you like this," I hissed as I twisted the finger around, keeping one foot on Medazeppi's palm. Before the giant could even react, the sickening sound of the finger bone popping off the knuckle echoed throughout the room as I held a bloody, makeshift club in my hands.

Medazeppi, to put it simply, wasn't amused. In fact, he grabbed his hand and began thrashing around, screaming in pain. "I forgot to mention," I heard Szayel call out over the giant's screams. "Medazeppi absolutely abhors pain, so when he gets like this, there's no stopping him." As if on cue, the Fracción crawled up onto his hands and knees and threw a fist down at me like a hammer.

"_**Focus, Johnny,"**_ Montezuma coached as I held my hands up to push against the fist. Pain erupted in my hands and arms as I withstood Medazeppi's blow. He apparently grew stronger with rage, though, because I was nearly pushed down to the ground. Still, I held my own and, eventually, pushed the giant Fracción to the side, knocking him on the ground.

Before the giant could retaliate, I rushed to its downed face with my finger club in my hand and rammed it into his eye. Blood gushed out as Medazeppi screamed out in pain. He kicked his legs about as he tried to pull the finger out of his eye socket, but he couldn't; it was wedged tightly in there, and he couldn't see a thing.

He stood up and tried to attack, but he couldn't see where he was swinging his giant arms around. I took the chance to run behind the rampaging giant and push against the back of his leg, toppling him face first onto the ground. As soon as he landed, the finger in his face rammed further into his skull, and he didn't move anymore.

I stepped around the giant corpse, stepping into the blood that began pooling around the giant's head. As the blood ran up my shoes and legs, saturating into my flesh, I glared at Szayel Aporro and growled out, "You're next." I then rushed at the man with incredible speed, reeled back a fist, and threw it at his face.

The only problem was that, instead of the blow connecting, it was blocked by Szayel's palm. My eyes widened as I looked between my blocked fist and Szayel's cocky grin. My arm was easily twice as big around as his hand, so this shouldn't have been possible.

"It seems you still have a lot to learn about the Arrancar," he explained, not sounding like he was straining at all. Before I could react, I suddenly lost the feeling in my outstretched arm. I looked to find Szayel holding my arm in one hand, and the katana unsheathed and stained with blood in his other hand. I then glanced over and saw the bleeding stump that used to be my arm.

"AUGH! FUCK!" I screamed out, clutching my arm socket with my other hand. My pained screams were cut off when I felt Szayel's foot ram itself into my stomach, knocking the air out of my lungs. The next thing I knew, I was sent nearly twenty feet across the corridor.

I groaned as I pushed myself up from the ground, my severed arm bleeding profusely. I looked up and saw Szayel standing over me, my detached arm still in his clutch. The cocky smile was still plastered on his face as he said, "You may be incredibly powerful for a human, but you're still not on par with us Arrancar." He then threw my arm in my lap and pointed his blade at my throat. If I didn't know any better, I could've sworn his amber eyes were glowing red with insanity.

His smile growing into a pure psychopathic grin, he prodded the tip of his katana into my Adam's Apple and said, "I prefer the idea of a slow and painful death, but I think I'll make an exception for you." I shut my eyes and waited for my death. Strangely though, it never came.

I opened one eye to see Szayel with…an annoyed scowl. He sheathed his katana, sighed in exasperation, and told me, "I'll kill you in a minute. Just let me take this." He then turned away from me and put a hand up to his ear. Was he…taking a phone call?

I didn't think on it as I felt my stump twitch, and a dull ache erupted. I looked to see something that rendered me speechless: my arm was growing back. The bones appeared first, then the veins and arteries, along with the muscles, and finally the skin. I stared at me newly reformed arm in disbelief, opening and closing my hand just to make sure it wasn't an illusion, when I heard Montezuma say, _**"You're welcome. Now take your dead hand and get the jump on this faggot."**_

I didn't argue with him. I stood up quietly, grabbing my severed arm, and snuck up behind Szayel Aporro quietly. I chose the right moment, because the man in question turned around and started, "You're in luck, Jonathan. It seems that I'm supposed to–" He didn't get the chance to finish as I slapped up upside the head with my separated arm. Either his head was incredibly thick, or I hit him a little harder than I thought, because the arm split into two pieces, the forearm and the upper arm, as soon as it hit his skull.

I'll admit I felt pretty proud of myself. Szayel, on the other hand, wasn't amused. He held a hand up to his bruised temple as he glared at me with a murderous look. "You son of a–" was all he said before he vanished. I got into a defensive stance and looked all around until I felt something strike me in the back of the neck, knocking me onto the ground, motionless.

Before my vision went black, I heard the same condescending voice say, "I'd kill you right now, but Aizen-sama has plans for you."

* * *

**Bingo! Phase 3 is done...yeah, I don't know what else to say here...oh yeah! I have a couple ideas for a sequel for this already, one involving John's "Hueco Mundo Log" and another sort of like this, but Kingdom Hearts-esque, and involving other anime and video games.**

**Fun Facts:**

**The original idea for this story involved Soul Eater instead of Bleach, and it wasn't going to have anything to do with Splatterhouse.**

**The original character design for John Hunt was originally going to be a teenage intern who joins his relative, who's an archaeologist, on an expedition.**

**Next Chapter - Phase 4: The Tyrant's Hospitality.**


	5. Phase 4: The Tyrant's Hospitality

**Here we are, the fifth chapter of Bleached Bone Mask. It was a lot harder to write than I thought it would be, but I think this chapter should do pretty fine.**

**Anyway, John finally meets Aizen. Let's see how he fares.**

**Disclaimer's in the first and second chapters. I'm not saying that again.**

* * *

Phase 4: The Tyrant's Hospitality

My head was pounding, and I could've sworn I heard a throbbing in my ears. I opened my eyes slowly, but my vision was blurry, and the light that poured straight into my eyes blinded me. Eventually, my eyes got used to the light, and the pounding in my ears began to clear up. Strangely enough, it almost sounded like words.

As soon as my eyes opened, I heard Montezuma shout, **_"Fucking finally! Do you know how long I've been waiting for you to get up?" _**I didn't want to hear anything from him, at least for now. I still had a headache from that attack, and having a voice yell at me in my head was the last thing I needed. I put a hand up to my face, feeling the mask still attached.

"What'd I miss?" I groaned out. My head was still pounding, so I closed my eyes to ease the pain. All I heard from Montezuma was a shrugging sound before he said, **_"Nothing much, except while you were out cold, they had their witch doctors cut your balls off and cook them in a stew."_**

"WHAT!" I shouted out loud, my eyes shooting wide open. I jerked straight up in the cot I was lying on, the thin blanket that was laid on top of me thrown off my body. I was about to check to see if he was telling the truth when I heard his trademark wheezy chortle. _Of course, _I mentally deadpanned. _You just have to get a good laugh at my expense._

I heard Montezuma sigh contently, saying, **_"I don't care. That's just funny."_** Montezuma then made a noise like he was clearing his throat before adding, **_"In all seriousness, though, they didn't do anything. All they did was drag your giant ass in here so you could get some sleep. That Szayel Aporro freak wanted to cut you open and see what made you tick, but the doctors didn't let him. They said that this Aizen guy would be pissed or something."_**

I nodded, then turned and got a good look at where I was now. The room wasn't exactly exciting, just a white tile floor, a white ceiling and white walls. The only part of the room that was another color was the blanket that was originally covering me, which seemed to be stained with red blood.

I raised an eyebrow and was about to ask Montezuma if it was mine. He didn't give me a chance to say anything, as he answered, **_"Nah, it's not yours. Apparently, this doctor had a lot more patients in worse shape than you were."_** I shrugged at that as I pushed myself off the cot and stretched my legs a little. I took another look around before I noticed what looked like a clipboard sitting on a table by the door. Curious, I went over to the table, picked up the board, and read what was on it. Just my luck, Szayel Aporro wrote it, and it was about me.

_"As a man of science, I was disappointed when I was told that I couldn't operate on Jonathan. I was tempted to disobey, mind you, but even then, Aizen's word is law here in Las Noches. Still, that didn't necessarily mean that I couldn't simply make a few observations."_

_"Now then, first things first, I have found out that Jonathan is actually a human, which doesn't surprise me as, even in the World of the Living, there are a select few humans who have special abilities. Even then, Jonathan is the strangest I've seen so far."_

_"For starters, he has an incredible amount of strength, and some knowledge of how to use it. He was able to kill Medazeppi, but that's not entirely exceptional; I only said that he was the most powerful of my Fracción just to see if I could shake him, perhaps lower his morale."_

I ignored the blow to my self-confidence as I continued reading, _"Another ability I observed – this being from watching his battle with the sand guardian, Runuganga – is that he was able to use blades made from, interestingly enough, his bones. It was incredible enough to see him incapacitate Runuganga long enough to make it to the base of Las Noches, but to see him turn his own body into even more of a weapon made it all the more interesting. I wonder if blades are the only weapon he can form."_

_"One thing that interests me is that, when he stepped in Medazeppi's blood, a portion of it seemed to slither up his leg. This leads me to believe that his abilities have something to do with the blood he absorbs from his kills. I'll have to make that note for if he ever crosses me again."_

_"His final ability, which happened to catch me off guard when I was speaking with Aaroniero, was that, like a Hollow, he possessed high-speed regeneration. I thought that I had the upper hand when I severed his arm with my zanpakuto, but my arrogance was what left me open to attack by Jonathan's hand, literally speaking. I made a note not to let my guard down, even if I do manage to sever a limb."_

_"What truly piqued my interest is that there seems to be a second entity living within Jonathan. I'm not sure who, or what, it is, but it seems to be the source of Jonathan's power. When I first saw Jonathan battle my Fracción, I first thought that his power was coming directly from his mask. When I got a closer look at his reiatsu level, however, I soon found that wasn't the case. Apparently, the mask is something of a vessel, while the entity inside lives inside Jonathan and gives him his abilities."_

_"I originally thought that the mask was actually a Hollow in control of a human vessel, but that seems unlikely. If a Hollow had actually possessed Jonathan, it wouldn't have given me the human's actual name–the Hollow would give me its own name. Another thing is that Jonathan's fighting style was fluid; if he were truly possessed, then his motions would be more inconsistent and stiff. There could be the chance that the mask attached to Jonathan's face is a Hollow, but there is still no convincing evidence. Still, the theory is still there that Jonathan has inhuman willpower and the ability to reverse a possession."_

_"I could be obsessing over nothing. For all I know, the power could be Jonathan's alone, and the mask is just something of an amplifier. I still wish to know: Is the mask on Jonathan's face a Hollow, or something else?"_

As soon as I finished reading, Montezuma commented, **_"Well, that was nice of him, giving me most of the credit. He even put in a good word for you, too."_** I simply nodded as I set the clipboard back on the table. When I was reading it, it sounded as though Szayel was excited. That was bad news…for me, at least.

I was pushed out of my thoughts when I heard a cold voice say, "So, it seems you're awake." I flinched and twisted towards the doorway. Standing in front of the open entryway was the palest man I had ever seen in my entire life.

His skin was almost as white as his outfit, which was almost the same as Szayel Aporro's. The only part of him that wasn't white was his black hair, his emerald green eyes, and the green, tear-like markings under his eyes. On top of his black messy hair was what seemed to be the left half of a helmet with a horn sticking out from the top. On his waist was a katana, much like Szayel's, except the hilt and scabbard were both green. He would've passed for a normal human, had his coat not have been zipped down enough to reveal a perfectly round hold in the center of his chest. He didn't show a single emotion on his face, but there was something about him that made me feel uneasy, even more so than Szayel.

I was about to say something before I heard him tell me, "Aizen-sama has asked me to take you to the Espada meeting room. If you would follow me." He then turned around and made his way through the hallway. I stared bewilderedly for a second before following.

**_"Jeez,"_** Montezuma started. **_"This guy doesn't seem very social, does he? No introduction, no beating around the bush, just blunt and straight to the point."_** I mentally nodded, not making any indication that I was listening.

The trip was fairly quiet, considering that my escort wasn't willing to make any conversation. Still, it didn't take us very long for us to get to the throne room. After what felt like half an hour of walking, we came across a large pair of double doors. They seemed to be made of stone, but the pale man opened them easily, almost like he was simply opening a book.

I soon found myself staring into a wide room. Unlike the other places I visited, this room was all the same color: a light shade of blue. The walls were aligned with towering pillars that were the same color as the rest of the room. In the dead middle of the room was a giant platform, on top of which I could just make out a throne.

Standing at the base of the platform was a small group of people, all wearing white clothing. I immediately felt myself sweat behind the mask; I could almost already tell that they were all staring at me, and it almost felt as though I was carrying a boulder on my back. I was broken out of my anxiety when my escort told me, "When you speak to Aizen, be sure to speak respectfully." That was all he told me before he stepped forward. Letting out a deep breath, I cautiously followed behind to the center of the corridor.

As I got closer, I began to see that the others were giving me different expressions. A few of them were giving sneers, almost like I made them look bad in front of their girlfriends. Others were just simply looking at me, not showing any emotion. Another one…well, to put it simply, he looked like he was about to pass out on his feet. Finally – and this is the one I was hoping I wouldn't see again – there was Szayel Aporro, giving me his usual conceited grin.

I soon heard Montezuma say, **_"Hey, Johnny. Remember when you said, and I quote, _****'I don't care if you can only see things that have a XXX-rating?'****_"_** I mentally answered yes, wondering what he was talking about. He then said, **_"Well, I see a perfect candidate."_** I shifted my view around and noticed a woman with a deep tan, blond hair, green eyes, and one of the skimpiest outfits I've ever seen.

Seriously, her uniform showed off her flat, toned stomach, the sides of her shapely legs and thighs, and the undersides of her large breasts. The high-cut shirt she was wearing was just a wrinkle away from showing something provocative. Ironically, the only part of her upper body that was covered was her face and arms.

It was at that moment I was thankful that I was wearing a full-face mask, because I didn't want my burning, beet-red face to be made public to this world. Then again, it wouldn't help that Montezuma was trying his best at trying to flirt with the barely dressed woman, even though she couldn't hear him…hopefully.

I ignored Montezuma's attempts at hitting on the tan woman as I stood just in front of the platform and looked up to see whoever was on top of the platform. Standing in front of the throne was a man wearing pure white robes. His brown hair was slicked back towards the back of his head, with the exception of one bang in the center of his forehead. He looked familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it at the time. Even then, the sense of deja vu tugged at the back of my head.

The man merely smiled warmly at me and said, "So you are Jonathan Hunt, am I correct?" I nodded, staying quiet, mostly because I didn't want to repeat anything Montezuma was saying, most of which was, of course, directed towards the tan blonde. Then man nodded, before introducing himself, "My name is Sosuke Aizen, the ruler of Hueco Mundo."

I bowed my head in respect, saying only, "It's nice to meet you." Aizen bowed as well, albeit it was a little unnoticeable. He then said, "Now then, from what Szayel Aporro told me, your mask seems to be the source of your power. Is this true?"

That apparently got Montezuma to quit with his fruitless flirting as he suddenly went silent. I nodded and answered, "In a sense, it is." Aizen raised an eyebrow, the smile still present on his face, as I continued, "I…I don't exactly understand it either, but it's what kept me alive here."

Aizen thought for a second before asking me, "Can you take your mask off and show us what you really look like?" I was silent for a second. I was a little iffy with taking off Montezuma for a couple of reasons, one of them being that I might wind up in as much pain as when I first put him on. That was something I didn't want to relive again. Still, ten powerful Arrancar who could probably kill me within two seconds were standing all around me, so I only had one choice.

I reached up to the back of my mask before Montezuma stopped me. **_"Before you do that,"_** he started, his voice filled with caution. **_"Ask to be alone, as in no one else except you and him."_** I had to admit, it was a smarter idea than just taking off my mask and letting everyone in the room see my true glory.

I dropped my hands back down to my sides, looked up at Aizen, and asked, "With all due respect, I was wondering if it could be just you who sees my face?" That caused some of the Arrancar in the room to erupt into an angry debate. Of course, it didn't last long before Aizen waved his hand, silencing the noise.

He then looked down at me and said, "Very well then." He then turned to the others and said, "Please leave me and Jonathan here to our business." The others hesitated for a second before they left the room, some of them muttering curses as they passed through the doorway.

**_"Whoa, whoa, wait a second,"_** Montezuma protested. **_"You could've at least let the chick stay."_** I inwardly groaned. For a mask, his mind was so far into the gutter, he was probably seeing mutants.

Once everyone was gone, I turned back to Aizen and let out another contained breath. I then reached behind my head to the edges of the mask and put my fingers between the mask and my head. Before pulling Montezuma off, I mouthed quietly, "One…two…three."

The next thing I felt was excruciating pain throughout my body. My bones began snapping in half once again, only to mend themselves and start all over. I was about to let go of the mask, but I held strong as the mask slowly separated from my face. Eventually, the pain subsided, and it felt as though my face could breathe once again.

I held Montezuma in one hand and clutched my aching head with the other. I stood up straight and looked up at Aizen, who had a more interested look on his face. Before I could even open my mouth to say anything, he suddenly disappeared from the top of the platform and reappeared right in front of me. I recoiled in surprise. How could anyone move that fast?

"So this is how you really look?" he asked, now eye level with me. I only nodded, not really sure how else to answer that. He then asked me, "Will you tell me how you managed to find this mask?"

I was quiet for a second, looking between Montezuma and Aizen. Then, letting out another sigh, I explained what happened up to this point. I told Aizen about everything that happened to me, from finding the mask, to being pulled into the portal, to making my way here to Hueco Mundo, and eventually, Las Noches. I left out a few details, such as Montezuma's name and the fact that he could talk to me. Aizen seemed to be listening intently, because he stayed quiet throughout my story.

When I finished, he then told me, "Well, I think I should shed some light of my own."

I nodded and asked, "I just want to know one thing. What exactly _is_ Hueco Mundo?"

Aizen was quiet for a second before closing his eyes and answering, "To put it simply, Hueco Mundo is, essentially, the world of Hollows, creatures that consume human souls. There is a hierarchy of power in place, starting with the Gillians, the largest, most common, and, ironically, weakest of the Hollows. Then there are the Adjuchas, which are more powerful. Finally, there are the Vasto Lordes, the most powerful and rare Hollows in existence. Unlike the Gillians and the Adjuchas, most of which have monstrous appearances, the Vasto Lordes are the most human-like Hollows, just under the Arrancar."

I stayed quiet, absorbing the information, as Aizen continued, "The Arrancar, however, are on another level of Hollow. They are actually Hollows I recreated to be more than on par with the Shinigami, our sworn enemies. The other ten that had just left are Arrancar themselves, but they are known as the Espada, the most powerful of the Arrancar. Their power is measured from 1 through 10, with one being the strongest."

I nodded in understanding. I had learned that the hard way when I fought Szayel Aporro. If he was the eighth, and I barely landed a solid hit on the guy, I didn't want to know what would happen if I fought with whoever was number one.

I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat as I said, "Well, thank you for clearing that up." I was tempted to ask what a Shinigami was, but I decided to save that question for another time. I got my answer to the one question I really wanted to know, and I didn't want to push my luck.

Aizen nodded and replied, "It is no problem at all." He then looked me up and down before offering, "I assume you'll need a place to stay, am I correct? After all, even with the power your mask gives you, eventually, you will perish."

**_"Yeah, that's what you think, dick,"_** Montezuma spoke up, sounding as cocky as ever. Even then, no one heard him except for me. I sighed to myself before asking Aizen, "Is there a catch or anything? I have the feeling you're not going to let me stay for free."

Aizen's grin didn't waver in the slightest as he said, "You're intelligent, I'll have to admit. As a matter of fact, that's correct. Since you hold impressive power for a human, I have a request for you."

**_"Oh boy, here we go,"_** Montezuma scoffed, sounding like he was rolling his eyes. I made no other sound as Aizen said, "What I want…is for you to join us." As surprised as I was, I'll admit, I didn't know how to feel.

"Um," I stammered, blinking a few times. I tried to come up with something to say before Aizen interrupted my train of thought.

"I feel that you would be a great asset to us," he explained. "Your help would be greatly appreciated, not only by me, but by the others living in Las Noches."

I put my chin in my hand as I thought over his proposal for a few minutes. I didn't really trust this guy, whether he sounded friendly or not. Still, I didn't want to continuously fight for the rest of my life. Maybe, by joining him, I could find a way to go back home, or to the human world, at least. That settled it; even if it cost a few innocent lives, getting back home was all that mattered.

I nodded mentally as I brought my head up and looked Aizen straight in the eye. "Alright," I answered, my voice quiet. "I will." If I didn't know better, I could've sworn Aizen's smile widened.

"Very well," he replied. "You may want to put your mask back on." I looked at Aizen with a raised eyebrow as he deducted, "I assume you didn't want to show your true face to my Espada, didn't you?"

**_"Nothing gets past this guy,"_** Montezuma commented. I nodded as he continued, **_"Still, take a chance with the pain. We all gotta deal with it."_** That was easy for him to say; he wasn't the one who was getting his body stretched out to its limit in the portal. Still, I didn't argue as I pushed him onto my face.

The pain lasted for about a minute before I was a lumbering beast again. Aizen just looked at me, not entirely fazed by my sudden transformation, as he said, "This way, Jonathan." He then made his way to the doorway out into the hall. I made no objections as I trailed behind him.

As I followed Aizen down the hall, Montezuma spoke up, **_"I don't think it was a good idea to trust this guy. He's got that kind of face."_**

I mentally nodded as I thought to him, _I don't trust him either. Even then, we may need to follow along with him until he gives us a way to go back home. Besides, he's pretty much a safety plan for us if we're gonna stay here._

Montezuma sighed and said, **_"I get that, John. Still, we can't just completely give our lives over to this guy."_**

_I got it,_ I replied. _But for now, we're just going to have to roll with it. At least until we can go back home._ After that, Montezuma stayed quiet, but not before uttering cautiously, **_"Still, watch yourself, Johnny."_**

A few minutes after my and Montezuma's conversation, Aizen led us to what seemed to be an average looking door. Before I could ask, Aizen opened the door and led me into what could've been called a one-bedroom apartment. It wasn't exactly huge, but it wasn't tiny room, either; it was just about the size of a huge living room. I stepped inside and soaked the place.

The room was colored a bright gray, almost enough to be called white. On one side of the place, there was sitting a large, gray sofa. In front of the sofa was a white coffee table standing on what seemed to be a dark, Oriental rug. At the back end of the room, I saw a white desk with a nondescript chair sitting right in front of it. Though I was getting annoyed with the same shades of color, I thought the place looked kind of homely.

"You will be staying here for the time being," Aizen told me. As I gave Aizen my attention, he added, "I will be sending one of my Espada to take you to the training grounds in the morning. For now, get plenty of rest." He then turned on his heels and, once again, vanished in the blink of an eye.

I sighed as I shut the door. I plopped down on the couch as Montezuma said, **_"Well, I gotta admit. This ain't a bad place."_**

_Yeah, it is._ I replied, leaning back into the chair. I thought it was kind of weird; I thought that, with all I've been through today, I would be wide-awake and waiting for something to happen. Actually, I felt the opposite. I felt like I needed a nap at that time, and not one where I was knocked out cold.

Without another thought, I shifted so that I was lying along the couch, with my feet propped up on one armrest and my head resting against the other. I closed my eyes and, for the first time since I came to Hueco Mundo, I fell into a peaceful sleep. At least, I had hoped it was peaceful.

* * *

**There we go. Next chapter, John enters his mindscape and actually speaks to Montezuma face to face. What's going to be the major topic? Stick around and find out.**


	6. Phase 5: Dreams of Power

**Phase 5 is finally out. Sorry it took so long for this chapter. I had a metric shit-ton of homework to fill out, not to mention my computer got hit with a virus. Other than that, it was all good, since I had most of this written down already beforehand. Thought the fact that this is my shortest chapter so far doesn't really help.**

**Hopefully, this chapter will meet up to your expectations**

**Disclaimer's in the first chapter, as well as the dialogue key.**

* * *

Phase 5: Dreams of Power

The next thing I knew, I suddenly felt a strong wind blowing in my ears. My eyes opened, and I was greeted with an incredibly familiar sight. Lying in front of me was a deep square pit, and looming over was the same Aztec pyramid. I blinked a few times before I began rubbing my eyes. There was no way I could've been home already, much less the dig site. Going home couldn't have been as easily as falling asleep. I never was a movie buff, but that was something reserved for The Wizard of Oz;

Even then, I had a weird feeling about this place. If the thundering sky wasn't enough to make me uneasy, then the fact that the place was abandoned did. There wasn't anyone in sight, whether in the excavation pit or anywhere around.

There was something, however, that wasn't at the original dig site. In place of where the tunnel entrance was what looked like a reddish-pink wall. Well, maybe 'wall' wasn't really the right word. It seemed a little bulbous, and it pulsed slowly, almost like it was…breathing. Root-like tentacles stuck out and clung to the walls.

I was a little disgusted, but, for some reason, I was drawn to the 'wall.' I wasn't sure what it was, but I just had to get there. Without another thought, I went over and climbed into the pit. I kept my eyes on the pulsing object as I moved closer to it, almost in a trance.

Before I knew it, I was standing just in front of the living…well, I didn't know what to call it. All I knew was that something was behind that thing, and it wanted to get out. I stepped forward, my foot landing on a small tendril branching out from one of the roots. I looked down and saw a small spurt of blood jut out from under my boot, but I paid it no more attention as I turned my attention back to the wall.

Without knowing it, I felt my hand reach up towards the fleshy barrier. Once again, it was as though I had no control over my arm. As my hand grew closer to the pulsating wall, I could've sworn I heard a raspy voice whisper in my ear, _"Yes…that's it…"_

My hand was just about an inch from the fleshy wall when I heard an all-too familiar voice made itself known, **_"I wouldn't do that if I were you."_** I flinched and twisted around, suddenly regaining control of my arm. When I turned to the source of the voice, I was shocked beyond all belief. Standing behind me was, well, me.

I tried to make sense of it, but the guy looked like me in almost every way. Whether it was my height, my average build, or my hairstyle, he could've passed as my identical twin. Still, even he looked different. For one thing, his eyes were solid, glowing yellow instead of green like mine. Another major difference was that his face was decorated with black and white paint, almost to look like a skull over his face. Wait, it didn't look like a skull at all; it looked more like a mask, like…

"Montezuma?" I started, not really sure. The doppelganger just chuckled and uttered, **_"Well, who were you expecting, Freddy Krueger?"_** It was official; I had officially gone insane.

At least, that was what I thought at the time. I stood where I was, staring at Montezuma with my mouth agape for what felt like ten minutes before asking, "Uh…how…how are…why are you…what the hell…" Unfortunately, I couldn't find the right words, or the first thing to say.

Montezuma cleared his throat, stopping my incoherent ramblings, and said, **_"Just calm down, take a seat, and I'll explain everything. I don't want you to hurt yourself in trying to make sense of it on your own."_** I didn't argue as I sat down on a block of limestone. I wanted an explanation, but the fact that I had my mind going on overdrive wouldn't help.

Once I was calmed down enough, Montezuma cleared his throat and asked, **_"Have you ever heard the phrase, 'no two minds are alike?'"_**

"I thought that only applied to snowflakes," I asked out of the blue.

Montezuma chuckled and replied, **_"That's true. Still, it's the same thing with a person's mind. No one thinks or sees things exactly the same way as another. That's what makes their mind unique. And just like their thinking patterns, they have to have something of a 'happy place,' to call it differently."_**

That wasn't clearing up anything. He was just going on about people's minds and how they were different. "But what does that have to do with where I–" As if on cue, something in my head clicked. "You're saying…this place is–"

**_"Yep,"_** Montezuma replied, a smile growing on his face. **_"This shit-hole…is your mind."_**

I could've sworn my jaw snapped off my face and landed on my lap. I thought it was a little too farfetched for me to actually be in my own mind. Still, I was in a world that housed monsters that ate human souls for a living. My grip on reality and logic was slipping, and it was only a matter of time before I officially had to go to the asylum.

"So, if this is my mind," I started. I froze when I tried to come up with the right phrase. I soon said, "So…why, exactly, am I here?"

Montezuma's grin disappeared as he answered only, **_"I brought you here to tell you something important." _**I raised an eyebrow, unsure of what he was talking about, before he continued, **_"Besides you and me, there's something else living here in your mind."_**

"Well, where is it?" I asked, a little on edge. Montezuma's only response was a pointed finger. I followed the finger's direction, and my eyes landed on the same fleshy walk I was so close to touching.

That was a little confusing. I already knew that there was that piece of flesh connected there, because it was the first thing I saw. "Uh," I started, turning back to Montezuma. "I already saw that. That's not really news."

Montezuma sighed as he shook his head. **_"Not the barrier, jackass,"_** he deadpanned, giving me a look that said that I was a moron. **_"There are two points to a wall: to keep something out or…"_**

"To keep something in?" I finished. He smirked and nodded. I furrowed my eyebrows, and then realization struck me like lightning. "You mean…something's on the other side of that sack of skin?"

**_"No shit, Sherlock,"_** Montezuma replied, stepping over to the wall. He then faced the wall and flicked it with a finger, smirking as he did it. Suddenly, a large, clawed hand reached out and tried to grab Montezuma. It didn't break through the wall of flesh, but the claws stretched through enough to inflict pain.

The hand barely missed Montezuma's face as he leaned backwards to dodge the creature's grip. I then noticed his fist rise up and slam straight into the top of the arm. The creature recoiled in pain, and I could just hear a muffled wail come from the other side of the tissue. Soon, the hand slid back, and the wall returned to its original shape, as though nothing tried to poke through in the first place.

I replayed what just happened with wide eyes as Montezuma walked back over. So many questions ran through my mind from that event alone, and it was hard to pick one. Eventually, I managed to ask, "What the hell was that thing?"

Montezuma took a seat next to me and sighed. I was expecting another speech or something time consuming. I was surprised when he came out and answered, **_"That…was your inner Hollow."_**

I was speechless for what felt like half an hour. How could I have an inner Hollow? How did I even get an inner Hollow in the first place? Unless…

Montezuma sighed and asked, **_"You remember when you killed that frog thing?"_** I nodded, and he continued, **_"Well, when I absorbed his blood, I noticed that something was being…created by the blood. I didn't know what it was at the time, but I didn't want to take any chances. Whatever it was may have wanted to kill you from the inside out."_**

**_"It was sitting in the darkness of that tunnel,"_** he went on, pointing towards the same tunnel he was just in front of. **_"I used what abilities I had and built that wall up over the entrance. It was a last ditch effort, but it worked pretty well. See, when we absorbed Szayel's lackey's blood, I noticed that your inner Hollow was growing stronger, so the flesh barrier was a smart move."_**

I scratched the back of my head, letting the information soak in, before asking, "So all I have to do to keep my 'inner Hollow' from growing stronger is to not kill any Hollows?" I was hoping that was the case, but the look on Montezuma's face killed whatever optimism I had.

**_"It's not that simple,"_** he replied. **_"If it weren't for two things, then your idea would work. First off, we're going to have to kill anything that may want us dead, and I don't think they'd be up for negotiations. Second, there's something in the air here in Hueco Mundo. I'm not sure what it is, but somehow, it's making the thing behind that wall stronger by hour."_**

I grimaced. Nothing could ever be easy. I then asked, "Wait, if my inner Hollow gets stronger as time goes on, then wouldn't it be able to break through that wall in a matter of time?"

As soon as I asked that, Montezuma began cackling like an asylum patient. I raised an eyebrow as Montezuma wiped a tear from his eye and said, **_"I already took care of that." _**He then gestured to the flesh wall and said, **_"It'll take way more than a dagger to cut that baby open. The wall needs either of our permission to open up and let that thing out."_**

I understood what he meant, except for that exact last part. "I can understand why it would need your permission," I started. "But…why are you giving me part of the control?"

Montezuma shrugged and said, **_"I dunno. You could probably use the Hollow to your own advantage. Maybe you want to kill yourself. Maybe you'll want to use its power out of desperation. For all I know, well, I don't really wanna know what gets you off."_**

"You're an ass," I deadpanned. Montezuma only laughed. Suddenly, he lifted his wrist up to his face like he was checking his watch.

**_"Well,"_** he began. **_"It's almost time for you to wake up."_**

My eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean by–"

All of a sudden, the world around me disappeared into a black void. My eyes shot open, and I could only see the dark ceiling overhead. Lifting my head up from the arm of the couch I was laying on, I looked around and saw that I was in the same room I fell asleep in. It was still dark, and from the one window, I could see the crescent moon shine through.

**_"I told you,"_** I heard Montezuma comment. **_"It was time to get up."_**

I sighed as I lay back on the couch. I didn't answer back to Montezuma as I shut my eyes. It was then that I realized:

"Fuck, now I can't sleep."

* * *

**And cut! That's all I got for this chapter. Next chapter, John starts his training. We'll see how that fares, and who his teacher is.**


	7. Phase 6: Tutoring Session

**Whew. Thank God, Buddha, Science, Cthulu, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, and whatever other deity there is that this is finished. Like the last one, I'm sorry that this came out a little late. I guess that I started with this story at the wrong time, when I have to do a bunch of schoolwork and essays. Even then, I'm glad I was able to get this out.**

**Disclaimer and Dialogue Key are in the first few chapters, because I'm too damn lazy to do that over and over again. :P**

* * *

Phase 6: Tutoring Session

The hours passed as I lay on the couch, but it didn't seem to get anywhere close to morning. I was thinking that either the window was just an illusion, or if it was always night here in Hueco Mundo.

I didn't just spend all my time in the room. There were a few times when I would get up and just pace around. I wasn't really looking for anything interesting, since all that was in there was a couch, a coffee table, a desk, and a door to the room's closet.

Speaking of which, I also managed to get myself a fresh change of clothes while I was waiting for the 'morning' to come. When I opened the closet door, the first thing I saw was…white.

_Figures,_ I thought, my eye twitching. Anyone could take a look at me and tell that I was one piece of rice away from completely losing my mind. Seriously, was white the official religious color around this place?

I shrugged off my annoyance as I stepped into the wardrobe. It was hard to find a good outfit, especially one in my size. Still, it wasn't impossible.

After about half an hour of rummaging through the solid white clothes, I stepped out of the closet wearing what looked like a large white trench coat that reached down to the back of my legs. My torn khaki pants were replaced with a set of baggy Japanese-style slacks, held up by a tight belt. In place of my hiking boots was a pair of white moccasins. It wasn't exactly something that an archaeologist-turned-monster would choose right off the bat, but it worked.

Almost as soon as I stepped out of the closet, I heard a knocking at the door. **_"Door for ya, Johnny,"_** Montezuma told me, stating the obvious. I didn't bother saying anything as I made my way to the door.

As soon as I opened the door, I soon came face to face with the same female Arrancar I saw at the throne room. I was caught by surprise, while Montezuma…well…it was an understatement to just say that he was happy to see her.

"My name is Harribel Tia," the dark-skinned woman introduced, her voice cold and serious. "You're Jonathan Hunt, I presume?"

I was about to answer before Montezuma shouted in my head, **_"Well, ain't we lucky sons of bitches? Johnny, I think you know as well as I do that this is quite possibly a once-in-a-lifetime chance, so TAKE IT, DAMMIT!"_**

My eye twitched behind the mask, but I sucked it up and nodded to answer Harribel. I saw her raise an eyebrow, probably thinking about why it took me about a few seconds to answer her.

Even then, she told me, "Aizen-sama told me to take you to the training grounds to test you. If you would follow me please." She then walked off down to one end of the hallway, with me trailing behind.

As we stepped through the hallway, Montezuma asked, **_"So, John, what do you make of the situation?"_** I raised an eyebrow as he continued, **_"I think the odds of you getting laid have just skyrocketed."_**

I groaned as I slapped my covered forehead. _Seriously, is that all you think about?_ I projected to Montezuma, obviously annoyed. _Why don't you stay out of my sex life and focus on something else for a change, like rivers of blood or something?_

Montezuma chuckled. **_"That's a nice thought, Johnny, but right now, the hot piece of ass in front of us is even better. Besides, I doubt you even had a sex life, you cherry."_**

I sighed inwardly; of all the cursed masks in the world, I had to be paired with the perverted one with the asshole complex.

I stopped in my tracks when I heard Harribel ask, "Is something wrong?" I looked up to see her looking at me with the same serious gaze. It was then that I noticed that her eyes were a deep green, like mine. Why that was the first thing I thought, I didn't really know.

Brushing it off, I answered her, "No, I'm fine. I'm just…thinking about things." That was technically true. I was thinking, but my thoughts were more of a conversation between me and Montezuma. Still, I wasn't willing to tell her that just yet.

After about fifteen minutes, Harribel finally led us to an archway. We stepped through, and the first thing I saw was…blue skies. My vision spread outward to see a seemingly endless yellow desert. I blinked in confusion; I didn't see any sunlight from my room, and the trip didn't take very long. How could it have been daylight already?

Harribel cleared her throat, bringing me back from my thoughts, and motioned for me to keep following her through the desert. I nodded and followed her, pushing the question to the back of my mind.

It was only another five minutes before Harribel led us to a wide, flat spot in the desert. We weren't alone; there were three other Arrancar waiting for us, and they weren't waiting quietly. Two of the Arrancar were bickering at each other over something – though I could've sworn I heard something about chest size – while the third was just watching at the other two. One strange thing I noticed was that they were all female.

Once we were close enough, the three Arrancar stood at attention. Apparently, Harribel was the leader of the three, with that sort of respect. The Espada motioned towards me, still facing the trio, and introduced in a blank tone, "Girls, this is Jonathan Hunt." She then faced towards me and introduced, pointing at each woman respectively, "Jonathan, these are my Fracción, Apacci, Mila-Rose, and Sung-Sun."

Apacci had sort of a tomboyish look to her. She had a slender figure, one that could've been confused with a teenage boy's. Her dark hair grew down to chin-length. Her eyes were two different shades, one being light brown and the other being ice blue. Her brown eye had a pinkish-red mark around it, completely wrapping around it. I barely paid those details any attention, because the one thing that grabbed my attention was the white horn sticking out the middle of her forehead. The first word that came to my mind when I saw it was 'Unicorn' and I could swear on my life that Montezuma would've agreed with me.

Mila-Rose, on the other hand, reminded me of an Amazon. She had dark tan skin, almost darker as Harribel's. Her hair was wavy and pure brown, growing all the way down her back, and on top of her head was something that looked like a three-sectioned headpiece. Around her neck was something that looked like a thick, pure white choker necklace. The first thing I noticed about her, however, was the fact that she barely had anything on her. Her uniform, if it could even be called that, flaunted her curvy bust and figure, and she didn't look at all embarrassed about it.

Sung-Sun seemed to be the only one who looked normal out of the three. The only thing about her was that she had three pink dots under her right eye, and what looked like a strange hairpin over the same eye. She had long straight hair growing down to the small of her back. Unlike Mila-Rose, her outfit didn't show anything except her head. In fact, the sleeves even grew long over her hands. Somehow, it reminded me of a kimono.

**_"Well, John,"_** Montezuma spoke up, a tone in his voice I couldn't make out. **_"I think the odds of you getting laid just shot up." _**I chose to ignore him, using every extent of my willpower not to reply, as I bowed my head towards the three girls.

"Harribel-sama," Apacci started, turning to the blonde. "Why exactly are we here?" I had a pretty good idea, since Aizen filled me in the night before, but I kept quiet.

Harribel turned to Apacci and, in the same blank/cold tone, answered, "I was just about to get there." She then turned to the rest of her Fracción and said, "Girls, you are all going to help Jonathan train his fighting abilities."

I didn't really know how the three were going to react. At first, I thought they were going to go into a rebellious frenzy, or maybe try their best to decline and get out of the job. I was wrong on both counts as they just stared at Harribel with a confused look.

"Why exactly do we have to do that?" Mila-Rose asked afterward, a tone of what I thought was insult in her voice. "I mean, I understand that Aizen saw something in this guy, but why exactly does it have to be us instead of anyone else?"

Apacci turned to Mila-Rose and gave off a cocky smirk before asking slyly, "What's the matter, Rose? Are you worried he'll beat you down to the ground without a second thought?"

The woman in question turned to Apacci and glared daggers at the woman before firing back, "Shut it, Apacci! All I'm saying is that there's more than one group of Arrancar in Las Noches."

Apacci chuckled cockily and said, "So you are scared, I take it?" Mila Rose was seething with anger as the horned Arrancar continued, "I don't see what the big deal. For all we know, this guy's probably the same as any other guy here in Hueco Mundo: a brainless moron who thinks that brute strength is the only way to get anywhere."

"I'm standing right here, you know," I muttered, a drop of sweat falling down the back of my head. I then turned to Harribel and asked her, "Not to be rude, but are they always like this?"

Harribel only gave a quiet nod as she turned back to her Fracción and clearing her throat, gaining the attention of the two bickering Arrancar. They both bowed in respect as they muttered an apology each.

Harribel sighed as she explained, "Despite what you may believe, Apacci, Jonathan has actually proven himself to be a capable fighter for a human. Even then, he still has a long way to go to survive, and Aizen chose us specifically for the task. Do you understand?"

Apacci sighed in annoyance as Mila-Rose and Sung-Sun nodded. Harribel nodded, then turned to her Fracción and me and said, "You may start when you're all ready." Before I could acknowledge her, she vanished, leaving me with her Fracción.

I didn't even have time to pop my joints before I heard the sound of a sword sliding out of its scabbard. I turned and saw Mila-Rose standing where she was with what looked like a broadsword in her hands. Apacci undid her wristbands, holding them at her sides ready to strike. From out of Sung-Sun's long sleeves, two pronged sai weapons stuck out and were held in an offensive position.

As I got into my own fighting stance, Montezuma started, **_"Look on the bright side, Johnny. If you win, they may just give you a victory fuck."_**

I would've given him a witty reply, had it not have been for the fact that a broadsword was coming at me at high speed. Before the edge of the blade could slice through my chest, I jumped backward on my heel and landed about a few feet back, just out of the swinging range of Rose's sword.

Next thing I knew, Montezuma warned, **_"Duck, kid."_** I made no objections as I leaned down to the ground, just close enough to feel Apacci's wristband weapons distort the air over my head. I could've sworn she cut a few strands of hair off.

I decided to retaliate by sweeping under her feet. I was close, but she was quicker as she leaped over my head and landed behind me. That evasion was all I paid attention to at the moment. Big mistake.

I just barely saw Sung-Sun rushing at me with her sai pointed at me until I noticed her coming up out of the corner of my eye. I barely had time to dodge, and even then, my arm rose up on instinct. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain explode in my arm, and I noticed a bloody silver stub poking out from the underside of my forearm.

I yanked my arm away, pulling it off of the weapon, only to see Apacci coming at me from my left, her chakram aimed at my neck. Mila-Rose was coming at me head on with her broadsword aimed to stab me, and Sung-Sun was to my right with her sai pointed at my head. There was only one thing for me to do. It was a shot in the dark, but hey, I was a risk taker.

Just before any of the weapons could make their mark, I leaned backwards, almost straight along the floor. I felt a few bones in my spine pop, and I damn near lost my balance, but even then, the most I came out with was a small cut along the center of my chest.

I smirked behind the mask as I muttered, "My turn." I then reached up and grabbed Apacci and Sung-Sun's arms, throwing a kick up at Mila-Rose's sword hand, knocking the blade up into the air. Once Mila-Rose was distracted, I straightened up and threw Sung-Sun towards me and elbowed her in the ribs, knocking her back a yard. I then swung Apacci around and sent her crashing into Mila-Rose with a pained grunt from the two of them.

I relaxed a little as I popped my knuckles. I was a little too confident to remember that the sword was still in the air and headed for my shoulder. Pain erupted quickly in my shoulder, and the feeling in my right arm disappeared.

"Not again," I muttered, gritting my teeth to keep from yelling out in agony. I clasped my left hand over the wound when I noticed Mila-Rose and Apacci standing up and step towards me menacingly, both of them with cocky smiles on their faces. I looked behind myself to see Sung-Sun pushing herself up off the ground, panting and keeping a sleeve on front of her mouth.

"Looks like you overestimated yourself a little, huh?" Apacci hissed, her eyes a little more sadistic than the others'. I gritted my teeth in bitter anger rather than pain, but then I remembered an important power the mask gave me.

I let out a deep breath as I picked the severed arm up from the ground and held it firmly in my hand. Just like last time, there was a dull throb in the stump of my right arm, followed by my arm growing back. I took another look at my arm as I squeezed the hand a few times. Though I already saw it before once in my one-sided battle against Szayel, it was still amazing.

I turned back to the two in front of me, noticing their gaping mouths, and replied, "Actually, I think I estimated myself pretty well."

Before they could react, I rushed at the two and swung the arm under the stunned Mila-Rose's chin. She didn't fly up more than three feet, but it was enough.

As soon as she landed on the ground in a crumpled heap, I turned to Apacci, who had just snapped out of her stupor, and swung my fleshy club at her head. She ducked and tried to slash at my face with the blades of her chakram.

I managed to duck backwards before the weapon could do any damage and countered with another leg sweep. She dodged again, but this time, I shot up and launched an uppercut at her stomach. What I forgot to count on was her vanishing in thin air.

I didn't bother to look for her as I noticed Sung-Sun rushing at me with both of her sai pointed at me. I held my severed arm up in front of me to block the weapons, or rather, get them wedged in the flesh. I smirked behind Montezuma as I raised my foot up and kicked her square in the chest.

**_"Now that's using your head,"_** Montezuma praised. **_"Well, your arm, but still; tomato, to-mah-to."_**

As she flew backward and skipped along the sandy desert, taking my severed arm with her, I began thinking about what I was doing. Normally, I wouldn't have been so eager to fight a woman, much less three, but my life was in danger. Then again, it didn't really explain the satisfaction rising in my gut. Was it Montezuma's doing, or was it just instinct?

I didn't have any time to actually do some actual thinking as I felt the skin on my back being sliced open and incredible pain shoot all across my body. I spun around, blindly throwing a fist, to see Apacci duck backwards, a smirk on her face. I noticed that one of her weapons was covered with my blood.

I threw another punch, which was easily avoided by Apacci's reflexes. The next thing I knew, a foot planted itself into my shoulder and sent me flying several feet. I bounced several times before sliding to a stop along the cold sand.

I pushed myself up from the ground, shaking the sand out of my hair, and looked up to see Mila-Rose grinning, her broadsword back in her hand.

**_"Keep your head in the game, dumb-ass,"_** Montezuma chastised as I stood up on my feet. **_"You're getting your ass beat out there!"_**

_You think I didn't notice that?_ I broadcasted to Montezuma, popping my neck.

As soon as I looked up, I saw Mila-Rose rushing straight at me with her sword held over her head. I jerked to the left, barely dodging her blade by inches, but was blind-sided when I felt Sung-Sun's sai jab through my shoulder. I screamed out in pain as I swatted at the Arrancar, only to miss again.

**_"Okay, now you're getting pathetic,"_** I heard Montezuma say. He sounded like he was shaking his head in shame.

I wanted to say something back, but at the moment, I was being rushed at from all ends. I ducked to avoid a slash from Apacci's chakram, but found myself with Mila-Rose's knee in my gut. I threw a wild haymaker in retaliation, which managed to make its mark on the side of her cheek, but I was soon cold-cocked on the side of my head by Sung-Sun's foot.

All the while, Montezuma was throwing out insults like a conveyor belt.

Anger and aggravation boiled in my stomach as I took blow after blow. I looked up and saw Apacci trying to hack at me from overhead. Without thinking, I held my arms up over my head, and the blades of Apacci's weapons wedged into my arms, stuck there.

I smiled inwardly, but the grin disappeared when I felt Sung-Sun's sai stab into my back, and Mila-Rose's two-handed sword pierce through my stomach. I opened my mouth and screamed out in pain, and I felt some blood ooze out from my mouth and out of the mask.

Of course, instead of any concern or worry, Montezuma scolded, **_"And look at you now! You have now officially gotten your ass beaten by three chicks. I swear you are an embarrassment to men anywhere. You're lucky I'm here, or you'd be fucking dead!"_**

Despite the unimaginable pain I was in, I was getting a little sick of Montezuma's attitude. All the anger that was in my stomach exploded as I shouted at the top of my pained lungs, "WILL YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP?!"

I panted heavily, almost relieved to get that out, before I realized that the three were staring at me, all with the same look that said, 'What the fuck?' Suddenly, even though I was impaled with three different weapons, I suddenly felt a little awkward.

**_"Way to go, Johnny,"_** Montezuma deadpanned. **_"That's one explanation you didn't need to give anytime soon."_**

I hung my head and sighed, still in the same position with the three's weapons stuck in my body, as I sent to Montezuma, _Tell me about it._

* * *

**Well, you've just read (and hopefully enjoyed) the 6th chapter of Bleached Bone Mask. The next chapter will come out a little late as well, though hopefully not as late as this one was.**

**Well, taking a page from the book of ****_'I Love Lucy,'_**** it looks like Johnny's "got some 'splainin' to do."**


	8. Phase 7: The Ones Under Your Skin

**Remember last chapter when I said that it probably wouldn't take me as long as a month for this chapter? Well...I'm sorry. Real life just keeps getting in the way. Not only that, but my computer got a few viruses, so I had to get those fixed. All in all, I really want to say that I hope I can be forgiven.**

**On the story related topic, I'm sorry that this story doesn't have a lot of action and that it's not really that well-written. It was hard for me to figure out completely how this chapter would turn out. Hopefully, it will be adequate.**

**As per usual, I don't own Bleach nor Splatterhouse**

* * *

Phase 7: The Ones Under Your Skin

That night, I was sitting in my room in front of my desk. Sitting in front of me on the desk was a thin, blank journal, or at least it started out that way, until I began writing. I had been writing for God knows how long, but it was a great stress reliever, especially after the training I went through.

I never considered myself as an author, but I always kept a log of any of my findings. Even whenever I traveled to other countries for archaeological expeditions, I always kept a journal handy. Then, whenever I got a chance, I would write about my surroundings, my colleagues, and even my discoveries. Though I wasn't at a dig site, the fact that I was at a new place contributed enough reason to write. Considering that I managed to find the blank journal and a set of pencils in one of the desk's drawers, all the better.

As I wrote, I flashed back to just before I left Harribel and her Fracción. I had explained to them about how I came to find Montezuma. However, unlike with Aizen, I didn't bother sparing any detail.

I told them everything, including the fact that Montezuma was actually a living being behind my powers. Harribel, Mila-Rose and Sung-Sun took the story in silence, whereas Apacci, after I finished explaining, said bluntly that it was the dumbest thing she had ever heard.

"Most people nowadays would think the same about monsters that ate people's souls, and yet here you are," I replied. She only scowled, which told me that I won that debate.

I was brought back to the present when Montezuma sighed heavily. He didn't have to say anything for me to know that he was already bored.

**_"C'mon, Johnny. Isn't there anything we can do for fun?"_** he whined.

I let out a sigh of my own as I told him, "Look, we can't just go around looking for something to kill. Besides, we have another training session with Harribel tomorrow."

**_"But it's no fun that way,"_** Montezuma retorted. **_"I want to see blood run down your arm while someone dies slowly and painfully. With training, well, it's not quite the same."_**

I couldn't say anything. There wasn't anything that could be said to argue with him. I never would've guessed that a powerful Aztec artifact, one that could've led to Cortez's demise, would have the stubbornness of a five-year-old.

"My, my," I heard someone say. It could almost feel the condescension in his tone as he continued, "Having arguments with ourselves, are we?"

_Please, don't be him. Please, don't be him,_ I prayed silently. I knew that tone anywhere. I slowly turned around, and in the middle of my doorway, there stood the all-too familiar pink-haired Arrancar, his ever-present grin on his face.

I sighed as I asked in an intimidating tone, "What do you want, Szayel Aporro?" I didn't want anything to do with this guy, but somehow, I knew that a simple 'Get out' wouldn't be enough.

Szayel only shook his head, the smirk still on his face, as he replied, "And here I thought we could start over and get on the right foot. I didn't think you would actually hold the hospitality of a caveman."

I sighed before saying accusingly, "Forgive me. I'm not used to acting friendly to anyone who tries to kill me as soon as he meets me."

The Eighth Espada nodded and said, "Well, that's understandable but primitive human logic. Also, I'm aware of your former profession."

I raised an eyebrow at that. Was he listening in when I explained my background to Aizen, or to Harribel? "Where did you hear that?" I asked, suspicious.

Szayel Aporro chuckled, brushing a pink bang out of his face, as he said, "Do you remember my now dead Fracción, Medazeppi?"

I nodded, still a little curious as to what he was talking about. "Sorry for your loss," I apologized sarcastically.

"It hurts, but I'll manage," Szayel responded, his tone more casual than mourning. He then went on to explain, "Well, I slipped a certain invention of mine onto his body, which I call Sprit Recording Bugs. When you killed Medazeppi, my spirit bugs flocked to you and recorded every movement and conversation you had, hence the reason why I know what you were back in the World of the Living."

**_"Disgusting,"_** I heard Montezuma hiss out. I silently agreed with him; I wasn't sure whether it was the mention of the both of us getting coated in invisible bugs, insect or machine, or the fact that he was eavesdropping on me—and possibly Montezuma, if Szayel's invention was powerful enough—in any conversation I was having.

"Anyway," Szayel continued. "From what I've heard, we both share more in common than you think."

As I turned back toward my journal and continued writing—I didn't want to even look at his smug face anymore—I asked him while looking at the journal, "Care to explain how?"

I felt Szayel Aporro smirk as he explained, "We're both curious men, Jonathan. If something interests us, we both try our best to understand it. Our professions are different, but, in essence, we could both qualify as scientists."

My hand tightened around the pencil I was holding, and I thought that I heard a few of its fibers breaking under my grip. Still, I kept calm and, still looking at my journal, debated, "While you may be right about what kind of people we are, what we really do is completely different. Being an archaeologist, my job involves taking me to places of historical interest. I study what kind of people lived there, what they may have done, and how they lived their lives.

"Your job, on the other hand," I added, turning my head slightly to look at him out of the corner of my eye, "involves twisted medicine, engineering, or a sick combination of both. Essentially, you'd be the kind of guy who would turn a human being into a weapon, and for all I know, you may have already done that."

Szayel chuckled, probably at my last comment, and said, "You're smarter than you let on, Jonathan. And here I thought that humans were only thoughtless peons who only solved their problems with violence." I felt a slight tug of irritation pull at my stomach as he continued, "But still, aren't our jobs both a kind of science? You study a science of the past, while I work on a science of the future."

I heard his footsteps grow closer as he finished, "You can play it off as whatever you please, but even you know it full-well." He put his hand on my shoulder as he finished menacingly, "We're the same."

Before I could say anything, his hand disappeared from my shoulder, as did his presence from my room. While I sat in front of the desk, something was bubbling over in my gut, and I had the feeling that it wasn't acid reflux. I felt myself panting, no, hyperventilating, as a slight tinge of red clouded my eyesight. Suddenly, I just let out a shriek of rage as I stood up, pushing my chair away, and threw a large fist down on the table, almost completely breaking it in half.

I just stood there, panting and looking at the wreckage, before I heard Montezuma tell me, **_"Calm down, buddy."_**

I was too furious and annoyed to think rationally as I shouted, "Calm down?! You get off to gruesome murders and torture, and you're telling me to calm down!?"

**_"You're just proving his point,"_** he fired back, annoyed anger filling his voice. I froze, most of my rage subsiding, as he continued, **_"If you go on a rampage, that's almost the same as him winning. Do you really want him to have the satisfaction?"_**

I had to admit it; the mask had a point. I could just imagine him at that time, watching me from a computer screen with that same damn smirk on his face, thinking to himself about how he was right about me being just a muscle-bound thoughtless brute. I let out a sigh as I flumped down on the couch, running my fingers through my hair, and stayed quiet for what felt like hours.

_What should I do?_ I projected to Montezuma after a while. _I really want that guy gone, but…I'm not sure if I can do anything._

**_"Oh, boy,"_** I heard Montezuma whine. He then started with a stern tone, **_"Okay, so he cut your arm off—which, need I remind you, grew back, by the way—and knocked you unconscious. I get it; that would shake someone up the first time, but think for a second. Compared to the John at that time and you now, what's different?"_**

I thought for a second. The only answer I could come up with was my first training session between Harribel's Fracción and me. Come to think of it, I felt a little more adept in that few hours of training that I was when I just blindly tried to attack Szayel Aporro right before he knocked me out.

Montezuma, ever the scanner of my mind, made a noise that sounded like a prize bell ringing and said, **_"Exactly. By my guess, the Espada are aligned from one through ten in order of strength. If that pinkie is the Eighth, then the odds of the four chicks you're training with being stronger than that guy are pretty high. If you keep working with them for a while, then maybe, just maybe, you'll be strong enough to get Pinkie off your ass."_**

I soaked in what Montezuma said and nodded subtly. It seemed a little unusual that he seemed to give this kind of advice; especially considering that it didn't involve anything related to rushing rivers of blood or dismembered human limbs. Still, I was kind of relieved to at least have an answer.

**_"Plus,"_** Montezuma started again. **_"You're not the only one who wants to pull his spine out and use it like a bullwhip."_** There it was; the same old, bloodthirsty Aztec mask.

_ You know,_ I started, smirking inwardly. _For a second there, I thought you were getting soft on me._

Montezuma chuckled and asked, **_"Do you even know me?"_** I laughed a little along with him. It may not hsave been much, but that was pretty much the first time I laughed since I arrived in Hueco Mundo.

**_"Now shut up and get some sleep,"_** Montezuma chastised jokingly. **_"You got another day of training with the girls tomorrow, so you'll need your energy, unless of course you want to fall asleep on your feet and find your head chopped off."_**

I sighed, this one more content than agitated or worried, as I laid back along the couch and put my hands behind my head. I had no idea how tired I actually was, until I shut my eyes and fell asleep almost instantly.

* * *

**And there we are. Next Chapter is another training session, only this time, John's going to have to learn how to dodge a Cero. Who knows?Maybe the stakes will be even higher**


	9. A Quick Update and Apology

How long has it been, everyone? How long has it been since I've pretty much abandoned this fix with no word as to where I was or where I was going? A year and a half? Two years? I feel so ashamed that I let such a great story gather dust and so many readers biting their nails as they waited for the next chapter of this crossover.

That's why I'm pleased to announce at, sometime in the near future, I will be working on editing the already published chapters and workon moving the story forward. For those of you who stuck around those of this lazy ass would ever get up and work on this, I thank you for your loyalty to this. For those of you that may have given up on this, I'm sorry, and I hope you can come back.


End file.
